Flooded Memories
by IngridKjord
Summary: A dark piece of Neil MacNeill's past has shown up in Cutter Gap to wreak havoc, and he doesn't know what it's about. Worse yet Christy seems to be the main target and Neil begins having horrible dreams concerning her fate. Full summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Flooded Memories

Author: Ingrid

Plot: A dark piece of Neil's past has shown up in Cutter Gap to wreak havoc, a mystery almost as old as the MacNeill clan themselves. Neil has no idea what is happening and worst of all, Christy seems to be the number one target. When Neil begins having horrible dreams concerning Christy's fate, he struggles with his faith and it is up to Christy to help him see God's enduring love. A baffling mystery of faith, love and hope, filled with danger and excitement that will leave you speculating until the end.

Rating: PG for mild violence and some suggested adult themes.

Notice: All Bible verses, unless noted, are taken from the NIV version. Please do not use any of this story as it is my original work. There is a major character death later on in the story. Please review, and be constructive... tell me about the story's flaws as well as it's successes, since I'm new at this. Thanks and enjoy!

Disclaimer: The wonderful story of Christy belongs, in its entirety, to the Marshall-LeSourd family. I'm not writing this for publication or any purpose other than my entertainment.

I hope you enjoy this... it's my version of what happened after the story leaves us. Stays faithful to the book in pretty much everything, and also adds some aspects I enjoyed from the TV Pax series.

One more thing... this has mildly gruesome parts in it. Nothing bad, but just to warn you I've said it.

Table of Contents:

Beautiful Future

Dark Skies Linger

Forbidden Sunrise

Surprise!

Crimson Sunrise

Rain Clouds

Freedom?

Road to Recovery

Thankful

Life in Cutter Gap

Dear Companion

Something Old, Something New

Whispers in Time

Foreboding Truth

The Greatest of These

A Life Worth Living

Hard Remembrance

Skylight

A Time for Everything

Impossible to Forget

_"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,_

_For the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."_

_Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)_

Chapter 1

Beautiful Future

Christy stood where she had dismounted Buttons, still holding the horse's reins. The horse nickered and nudged the back of her arm with her muzzle, but Christy didn't notice. All she noticed was the broad flannel covered back riding away and the bouncy, unruly red curls. The man who was courting her.

"A lovely evening, I take it?" A voice from the mission porch said. Christy spun around to see Miss Alice gazing at her, her beautiful gray eyes trying in vain to hide their amusement. A small grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she watched the young woman blush modestly.

"Indeed" Christy replied, turning once more to see Neil's form disappearing. He looked back at her and waved, a wonderful smile lighting up his face, and then he was gone.

"Well, feel free to stay out here, Miss Huddleston, though with the sun falling it would be a pity for Neil's next trip here to be for his doctoring skills. Good night." Miss Alice said, and with a tender smile the graceful woman descended the steps of the mission and left for her house. Christy followed Miss Alice with her eyes and then, with a small sigh, began leading Buttons to the stables. The schoolteacher shivered slightly in the mid-September air, thinking that Miss Alice, like most of the time, had a valid point. The cool breath of winter was already descending on the mountains, adding a crisp bite to the air which got worse as soon as the sun began to sink. She had recently been waking up to mornings where a thin layer of prismatic frost covered the windows of the mission house, and the tiny flakes that lay on the ground, while not snow yet, would catch the ever-weakening rays of the sun and throw back an array of bright colors into her eyes.

Christy walked across the barren yard, now hard and crunchy under her riding boots, and made her way into the barn. Inside the musty smells of leathers and metals greeted her all at once, and as she untacked the mare she began thinking over the wonderful evening she had just had with Neil, the man who loved her - not just her body - with everything in him. _It's strange, _she thought, _how it took a near death trial before I realized it._

Shortly after she awoke that morning many months ago, a survivor from that terrible typhoid epidemic, she had realized what needed to be done. She had not only been immature, she had been selfish, in allowing two young men to form such obvious attachments for her, and leading them both on! A week after she first woke, or as Neil put it "came back to us", she told David where her heart truly belonged. She also apologized and asked him to forgive her for her selfish behavior. It wasn't easy, she had known it wouldn't be easy from the moment she heard David's big, booming voice in the parlor below and knew he was coming up to see her. But with prayer, guidance from the ever patient Miss Alice, and more prayer for courage, she had told him. And he had stormed out of the mission and been gone all day. He had come back that night but refused to talk to her or even acknowledge her existence anymore. But she could understand, and she berated herself that night and asked God to forgive her for how she had hurt him, all because she hadn't had the courage to tell him sooner. That day she had woke from the typhoid was one memory that even now burned in her chest and heart beat to quicken. Neil, that big, strong, muscular man with the confidence that had so annoyed her at times. Cocky, so sure of himself - (sometimes she had thought _over_-sure was the right word) - and yet there he was at the foot of her bed, weeping, no, sobbing, for _her. _It was the kind of thought that now, almost a year later, caused her heart to skip a beat. And ever since she had proclaimed her love for him, shortly after her initial wakening, he and she had been unimaginably close.

She put Buttons away in her stall, fed her and gave her water, and then started heading to the mission. She really didn't want to be inside right now, her evening with Neil was still too recent and she knew she must be blushing ridiculously, but she also knew that Ida would have supper prepared and would award her, Christy Rudd Huddleston, with that awful tight lipped smile - and, ever since Christy had refused David - a haughty look in her eye. Taking the steps to the mission two at a time, she entered and immediately went to clean up. After helping with the meal, she and Ida sat down for the meal. Christy did a mental check of where everyone else was, even though she knew she didn't have to. Ruby Mae, of course, was with her husband Will in their cabin. Christy realized now that she was beginning to miss the girl's constant chatter, the house seemed so empty without it. David was at his bunkhouse, eating and sulking alone. Miss Alice was usually with them for meals but of course she had left for her house earlier. And Neil MacNeill couldn't dine with them, even though Christy had invited him to do so, because he had some unfinished work to do. So that left only Christy and Miss Ida, who was especially poor company tonight. That wasn't a problem though because the young schoolteacher had her heart, and mind, elsewhere.

They had ridden to one of his favorite fishing spots, talking and bantering the whole way. She grinned to herself as she remembered a line she had once read from Shakespeare's _Much Ado About Nothing, _"thou and I art too wise to woo peaceably." It had been said by Benedict, one of the main heroes in the play, to his lady-love, the witty but beautiful charmer Beatrice. And Christy could fit it very well, she thought, into she and Neil's situation. It was more playful banter than angry nowadays, and the two thoroughly enjoyed it. The two had sat there, side by side at the river, just talking. And then they had gone to his cabin for lunch, and thankfully this time she didn't burn anything. The meal was wonderful, and so was the company. Neil enjoyed watching her eyes light up and her cheeks burn when he told her how special she was to him, and how much he loved her. And then, as he had countless times before, before taking her back to the mission, he had kissed her. Full of love, compassion, and tenderness, Neil's kisses always made her toes curl inside her boots and a pulsating, electric shock run throughout her entire body. Their kisses always lasted longer than the average, and when they would finally pull away they would both be glowing...

"Miss Huddleston, did you hear me?" Ida asked. Christy visibly jumped, feeling like a child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Um, I'm sorry, I guess my mind was wandering." She said meekly and smiled.

"Obviously. I was trying to ask you about Ruby Mae." She said. This sudden invitation after where Christy's thoughts were leading was too tempting, and she jumped on it.

"She's doing well. Neil says it won't be too much longer." Christy replied, thinking about the joyful look on the face of her former pupil last time she and Neil went to visit her. Ruby Mae was almost seven months pregnant and absolutely radiant. The girl was entirely at peace with the situation, and she never ceased talking about "me and Will's young'un'". The pregnancy, according to Neil, was going exceptionally well, much to Christy's relief. She had seen too many deaths of infants and mothers to not be concerned, but she took this news from Neil as good. Miss Ida smiled politely and stood up to begin clearing the table. Christy jumped up to help her and within half an hour the kitchen and dining room were back to their perfect cleanliness.

As Christy slowly mounted the steps to her bedroom, her thoughts flew to David. She hadn't heard from him in what seemed like ages, and although she certainly didn't want him to think she had changed her mind and returned to him, she also didn't know what he was thinking. She knew she needed to find out... maybe she'd talk to Miss Alice tomorrow. She said a swift prayer for guidance before continuing to her bedroom.

**Authors Note: First story, please review! :-)**

**(It's slow right now, but I have to set the background for the story... soon things get really interesting.)**


	2. Dark Skies Linger

Chapter 2

Dark Skies Linger

Miss Alice, much to Christy's displeasure, had to leave early that morning for Big Lick and looked extremely busy, so Christy decided not to interrupt her. It was only going to be a day event, and the elderly woman would be back by that night. Of course, how had Christy forgotten? She mentally chided herself and went back inside the mission. Today being Saturday, there was no school, so Christy went to prepare a simple lunch and started towards the wooded trail. Before she had left she told Miss Ida where she'd be walking that day, so the older woman wouldn't worry. The air was brisk and cool and she knew she had papers to grade but that could wait another hour - oh just one hour of glorious freedom!

As she walked, relishing the cool mountain air, her thoughts drifted to her friends and loved ones. Miss Alice, the Quaker lady who, from the inside, radiated a peaceful beauty of inner conviction. Her faith in God made her strong enough to survive in these mountains of beautiful, but relentless, harshness. Yes, she not only survived, she had thrived. She taught Christy so much about God and love and life. She challenged her to think, yes, even demanded her to think, about why life was as it was. She remembered Miss Alice's words to her early on when the schoolteacher was deciding whether or not to run away from Cutter Gap, to shirk her duty. The "ivory tower" speech had stuck to her, imbedding itself in her deeply. She thought about how, when she was still unsure of why she believed in God herself, Neil had so confidently challenged her. She had been so angry at him then, and even thought she didn't like him very much. How wrong she had been. Even then as an unbeliever, he had challenged her in a good way. He had forced her to ask this question of herself, and thus get the answer...

Neil... something turned warm and liquid in her chest. How she loved this skilled doctor, stubborn Scott and best friend of hers. He was, to her, the most handsome man she had ever seen. Reddish curls over a strong, masculine face. Broad shoulders with strong arms and gentle, skillful hands. She remembered all the arguments he and David had had about God... well, no more "unbelieving doctor", he was now saved! It had taken a death bed to realize his need for a Savior, just as it had taken the very same death bed for her to realize her love for him. But they had both done it, and now... well, now she felt like singing and dancing and praising her Father.

She thought of visiting Jeb and the children, who were getting along better since Fairlight's death but still missed her painfully. She thought of visiting Opal McHone, who had soared to an all-time high in her faith. Christy realized now that she was just as encouraged by this woman as this woman was by her. While Opal would never take the place of Fairlight, she was quickly becoming a close friend to Christy.

But today, she decided against those options. She just wanted to walk, to be free.

As she began walking to hers' and Fairlights' favorite place, she heard a noise to her left. Snapping her head in that direction, she studied the landscape for many moments, but saw and heard nothing more. Just the usual bare limbed oak and maples, with the occasional dogwood or twisted, gnarled mountain laurel. Though not scared, exactly, she was a little apprehensive and quickened her steps to the familiar rock slab that jutted out slightly over the cliff. From there the panoramic view stunned her, as it always did. Cutter Gap still, after nearly two years, took her breath away. A smile formed on her delicate lips as she remembered more of her talks with Miss Alice. At first, she remembered, she had indeed noticed the beauty, but when she discovered all the awful things that went on in Cutter Gap, the poverty, the pigs, and the harshness of life in these mountains, she couldn't see past it to see the beauty anymore. It was Miss Alice, Neil, and David who had all in their own way allowed her to see what she was missing, and yes, strengthened her faith in God. She nearly laughed as she thought of the long ways she had come in those two years. She was still, indeed, immature. She knew that and believed it wholeheartedly. But she had become so much stronger, both in body and spirit, during her time here. Her faith in God had been sorely tested, almost even breaking at points, but as Miss Alice would say, it was like fine china... twice as strong with the mending. Each time she had reached for God, or even rebelled against Him, He had drawn close and pried "the little girl's fingers off the little girls eyes".

Looking out over the hills, she took her sketchbook out of her bag and opened it to a fresh sheet of paper. As always these days, when she envisioned something or someone, it was Dr. MacNeill, and so with that in mind, she decided to begin drawing. She would put him in the middle of a river, with the water rippling around his pants, disturbed from it's normal flow. He would have his fly fishing pole and a flannel shirt on with rugged pants. He would be concentrating, getting ready to cast the line... it was one of the places she loved seeing him the most. He was completely at peace then. No torn and bleeding flesh to mend, no bullets to probe for or stitches to make. He was completely at rest, and she adored it, and she adored him. She loved their time together and was thrilled with all the new skills she was acquiring. Neil was teaching her how to act as a professional nurse

Caught up in her reverie, she had forgotten about time completely. What was time? Well, whatever it was, it seemed for her to be standing still as she sketched, then prayed, and finally just drank in the view that her thirsty mind needed. It was getting later in the day with the sun at its zenith when her stomach growled and she realized that she should be getting back.

"Christy?" A thick Scottish brogue from behind her questioned. She smiled and turned around to see her visitor.

"Hello" She tried to sound casual, hoping he wasn't looking for her. But he was.

"What are you doing out here for so long?" His voice was friendly, so she didn't feel too guilty.

"I'm sorry, I let myself-"

"-Get carried away, I know." He finished her sentence, teasing her as he always did. He claimed it caused a flame to leap into her eye, and he liked it when she was riled. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, staring at him with mock seriousness. But she couldn't hold it too long and started grinning. He held out a hand and she took it, stepping off the rock slab gracefully and onto the thickly carpeted pine needle floor.

"Honestly, after two years haven't I proved that I can take care of myself?" Christy asked in an exasperated tone. Neil smiled and shook his head, which made her sigh.

"Ride back to the mission with me?" He asked with that boyish grin of his. She smiled, finding it irresistible, and walked back with him, hand in hand, as he led her to where Charlie was waiting. Swinging himself up in the saddle first, he then held the reins with one hand and reached down the other for Christy. She gave him her hand, and once again found it amazing how strong he was. He lifted her before she had time to hoist herself up and pulled her in front of him. He kissed her lightly on the cheek before asking,

"Ready to go?" She turned her head towards him and smiled, nodding. Then as he started Charlie forward Christy fell into the peaceful rocking motion, leaning back against Neil's strong arms for support.

After they had ridden for a few minutes Neil cleared his throat.

"You know Christy, I don't think you should be out on your own like this." He said.

"We've been over this before Neil, I won't get lost... I've been here two years, you know." In her eyes he still had a tendency to treat her like a child.

"It's not you getting lost I was referring to, though now that you mention it I probably should worry about that too." He was teasing, lightly, but there was something seriously bothering him.

"Neil?" Christy looked up into his face. "What is it then?" Neil didn't answer right away, keeping a steady hand on the reins, his muscular arms on either side of her as his free hand was cupping her waist softly.

"There are some moonshiners around here who have come seeking refuge from the law." He said bluntly. This bewildered Christy, and she started to open her mouth to ask the obvious when he again beat her to it.

"No, no one from around here. No one's ever seen them before." He answered gently.

"Where are they from?" She asked. Neil sighed.

"Don't know, though I think they're from North Carolina." He paused. Christy still didn't fully understand the ramifications of what he had just told her, and he knew that from the confused expression clouding her beautiful blue eyes.

"These men Christy, don't think twice about pulling the trigger on a gun when they see another person, they're that jittery."

"But, how do you know this?" She asked him, for a moment afraid that he would admit to being involved in something illegal.

"Do you know where I was last Thursday?" He asked. She thought for a moment. That was the day they had planned on having a picnic lunch, but Neil couldn't because he had a sudden emergency call.

"No, I don't." She answered honestly.

"I was sewing up Uncle Bog." He said. Christy gasped.

"Uncle Bog, what happened? Is he okay? Why didn't I hear of this?" Questions began flowing from her mouth all at once.

"Whoa Lass! One at a time." He chided gently. "He's alright now, quickly on the road to full recovery. As for what happened, well, he said he was hunting about half a day's walk from his cabin when four men suddenly sprang up from behind their hiding places. He didn't get a good look at them, other than that they were apparently well armed and dirty, like they'd been there was awhile. Before he had time to raise his gun one of them - presumably the leader - shot him. I didn't want to scare you, and Bog asked me not to 'worry ye needless-like', so I was waiting for a good time to tell you." He fell silent again. Christy allowed herself to rest on Neil's chest again, but she couldn't put the thought from her mind. Criminals in Cutter Gap? Ones that will shoot at will? What of the children? Her thoughts immediately flew to Mountie and the rest of the O'Teale family. Nathan was, well, hardly ever around. How could Swannie protect herself or the children from four adult men?

"They'll be fine." Neil said, as if answering a question. Christy looked at him quizzically.

"Who?"

"The children, your schoolchildren. They all have parents who own rifles too." He replied. She would forever and always be amazed at how well he knew her.

"But Neil, what about the O'Teales? They don't have a man, and Swannie isn't able to protect them..."

"Shh... Christy. I didn't tell you so that you'd be worried about the whole Cove. I just wanted you to be careful." He said tenderly, hugging her against him. She looked up at him and he smiled at her reassuringly. While she felt safe with him, she now thought of the noise she had heard on the way to her lookout. At the time, when she hadn't seen anything unusual, she had shrugged it off as just a animal, maybe a rabbit or something. But now a cold chill was beginning to creep into her as she thought that maybe, just maybe, it had been one of the moonshiners. Neil sensed her dread and tried to cheer her up.

"You know Love, you never did tell me what you heard that day when you woke from the typhoid." She leaned her head back further and turned it sideways, laying on his chest. She loved his affectionate names for her. While she was definitely quick enough to see the obvious change in subject, and to know why he did it, she decided to relent. Besides, the fact that he didn't want to scare her showed how much he cared.

"Well, I guess I should begin with what I was feeling. It was like some enormous weight had been pressing my physical body down, tying me to my bed. I had just witnessed the most joyous, lovely thing I had ever known. I saw Fairlight, with all of her children, even those she had lost." She felt Neil stiffen slightly. He had grown up with these people and undoubtedly their losses had all been his losses too. She inhaled deeply.

"But Neil, they were happy... like I've never seen before. They all just... well, shone radiantly, like they were lit from within. I was very close to going to them Neil, and I now know that that would have meant going to heaven."

"Aye, I knew you were close. I had witnessed too many deaths, to many times where the body was on the brink of giving up, and I knew you were almost gone." His voice had gotten tight, as if he was reliving those awful moments and trying to control his emotions.

"Neil, as you know, it was your voice that stopped me. I was standing there in my happy bliss with the choice before me of going on or coming back, and I heard your voice. It was lovely, and it suddenly filled me with an absolute knowledge of what I had to do." She smiled in memory of the fond moment, and Neil decided that he loved her all the more for it, if that was possible. But he did not interrupt her, interest in where the story was leading was much too strong.

"The world around me slowly came back to focus. At first I could only hear and feel things, not having the strength to open my eyes. I felt the sheets underneath my sweaty body... I felt the too-heavy blanket lying over me. I felt the warm sunshine streaming through a window nearby - my window - onto my cheeks, spilling down my chin in some of it's last warmth. I also heard things, I heard the wind blowing outside the mission house, that strange, beautiful, haunting melodical wind that seems to sob the deepest longings of humanity. Then I heard your voice. You had prayed... I heard it! You asked for forgiveness from your rebellion. You asked God to spare me. I kept thinking how wonderful it was that you loved me like that. And the God that I served - the God that now both of us served - in tenderness and compassion granted your request. Warmth flooded through my brain, racing down my arms and legs with joy, and I placed on hand on yours to comfort you." There was a comfortable pause as Neil thought about all she had just said. Charlie now got to the edge of a creek and splashed through, walking up the steep hill that rose on the other side.

"I knew I couldn't keep running, I knew there must be something to your God and I wanted Him in my life for the first time in a long time, and I knew it was He, not I, who could save you."

"I love you Neil."

"I love you too Christy." He replied. A sudden snap of branches caused the couple to look quickly in its direction. Neil reined Charlie in, and sat very still, almost motionless. With the keen eye of a skilled doctor he surveyed the surrounding trees. Nothing to be seen, but he knew that nevertheless, they were being followed. Christy didn't dare say anything but in her heart she was worried. She looked around as well, but didn't see anything. The afternoon sun was now sinking, late shadows stretching everything into monstrous proportions that seemed to stare back at them ominously. It would all too soon be getting dark, and neither of them wanted to be out here, with these criminals on the loose, after nightfall. After what seemed like an eternity to the impatient Christy, Neil tapped Charlie's sides gently,

"We should be getting back" He said in a low whisper. Charlie started forward again, and within what seemed like ages they finally arrived at the mission. A figure darkened the doorway as they approached and they realized it was Alice, no doubt anxious. She came walking out as Christy dismounted Charlie. Christy turned to Neil, worried that he would go home by himself and wondering if the men had indeed followed them.

"Will you stay?" She asked hopefully. Neil hesitated, and then shook his head.

"I need to be getting back" he said sadly. Just as that moment Alice came towards them both.

"Neil, I think you should stay... I need to talk with you." This was spoken in so serious a tone that both Neil and Christy were slightly taken aback.

"Well, I guess there's an offer I can't refuse." He said light heartedly, though Christy sensed his worry already.

Around the dinner table that night were Christy, Neil, Alice Henderson and Ida Grantland. David was no where to be found. When all four were seated with their meals ready, Alice cleared her throat and began.

"The McHones lost their suckling pig this afternoon." She said.

"Are you certain it didn't just run off?" Christy asked, beginning to understand where this was going. No one else at the table moved.

"He wouldn't, not with the mash they feed him." Alice replied. The table went silent.

"And you think...?" Neil asked.

"I'm almost positive. Opal said that Isaac had seen some movement around the house earlier that day, and he thought at one point that he saw a man with a rifle." It suddenly became so quiet that Christy fancied she might, if she listened hard enough, be able to hear the pigs grunting under the schoolhouse. Neil drank some from his glass, taking a long time before answering.

"It could be nothing" he glanced over at Christy, who was staring down into her lap with a solemn expression. "Then again..." he said to the rest of the group, "it might need to be looked into."

"We can't have the families of Cutter Gap starve because all they're food is stolen." Alice said thoughtfully. She became absorbed in thought for a few moments. Then she looked up at Neil. No one said anything at first, but as if by mutual consent they both formed a plan.

"I'll get a search going tomorrow." Neil said with hesitant finality. Christy looked up at him then, blue eyes round with worry.

"You just said yourself earlier that these men won't hesitate to pull a trigger." She said, her voice worried. "Neil, they might -"

"There will be many of us Christy, and we'll all be armed I can assure you." Neil replied, looking back at her confidently. And so it was done. It was agreed that the doctor would spend the night in the downstairs part of the mission and rise early in the morning to ride to the others.

While Christy went to gather blankets and a pillow, a cold dread seeped into her heart. Neil was strong, yes, of that she had no doubt. But it only took one bullet... in the right place it would be beyond any of them to help him.

"Lord, please keep them safe!" She prayed. If she could have gotten away with it, she'd have gone with the men in a heartbeat. But she knew that there was no way Neil, or Miss Alice, or Ida for that matter, would ever consent.

"Can I help?" He asked softly. Christy jumped, and turned around. It was Neil, standing behind her as she reached for a blanket on the top shelf in a closet. Silently she nodded, and Neil retrieved the blanket and handed it to her.

"I'll be careful, I promise you I will." He said, again sensing her thoughts before she had uttered them. She looked up at him sadly.

"It only takes one shot..." She began, but couldn't finish.

"Shh... Christy lass." He said, and placed a hand on her cheek, which was now slightly wet with her tears. He whisked the tears away with one of his thumbs. "I can't get shot anyways" he said, "because I wouldn't get to spend time with you." He grinned to lighten the moment, and Christy sighed as she leaned into him, laying her head on his chest.

"These men may start doing far worse than stealing pigs, and we've got to stop them." She looked up at him silently, blinking back tears. It was the tears that got him the most. Her small, petite though strong demeanor and her desire to be with him all made saying good bye to her very difficult. Turning away, she thought for a moment and then looked back at him.

"Make sure you do come home to me safe, Dr. MacNeill." She said, then in spite of herself grinned slightly. He smiled back and winked at her,

"As you wish Ma'am." He took some of the blankets from her and together they trooped downstairs to set up his bed.

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys, and the technical help!**


	3. Forbidden Sunrise

Chapter 3

Forbidden Sunrise

The next morning dawned beautiful and clear, and for a moment Christy forgot all about moonshiners and outlaws and guns. She laid in her bed and stretched her hands above her head, loving the soft sheets under her back and the gorgeous view of the Great Smokies out of her window.

_Today is beautiful… why was I so gloomy the other night…? _And then she sat up in bed quickly. _Neil! _And she pushed the covers to the floor. Throwing on some clothes quickly Christy threw open her door just as Neil was about to open it on the other side, and she almost collided with him.

"Whoa there." He steadied her. She grinned sheepishly and looked him over. He was dressed and looking as though he were about to leave.

"I didn't want to wake you, but I was hoping to say goodbye before I left." He explained. Christy attempted a brave smile for him, but nothing was lost on the doctor.

"Don't worry, I've been acting as more than doctor long before you got here, and I'm still alive." He said, putting a hand on her arm. Christy pulled him into her for an embrace, and with her chin on his shoulder she sighed.

"How long will you be gone?" She asked.

"I don't know, shouldn't be more than a few days." He replied.

"I love you, come back to me." She said. He hugged her back and then pulled away, looking at her fondly.

"I will." He promised. Christy followed him to the front door and saw him off. No one else was there, Ida was still sleeping and Miss Alice was still at her cabin. As he stood in the doorway Neil pulled Christy into him for a kiss. She responded by wrapping her hands around his neck and yielding to his kiss. When the two broke away, the sun had just barely come up. Neil had already saddled Charlie and had him waiting by the front steps, and he now mounted, smiled down at Christy, and rode away.

Christy shielded her eyes from the rising sun with her hand and watched as he left. She sighed and after a few moments turned to go back into the building. Thankfully Miss Alice had seen no reason to postpone school, at least not yet, so that would give her something to do while she waited for his return.

"Alright children, what is the square root of 49?" Christy asked as she walked down the aisle of the school building. There was silence for a moment and then a hand shot up. It was Bessie Coburn.

"Yes Bessie?"

"Isn't that '7', Ma'am?"

"Yes, that's correct. Now can you tell us how you arrived at that answer?"

The children had been studying for a end of the week math test, and Christy was confident that many of them would do well. So confident, in fact, that she had sent to Asheville for some special books that were to be awarded as prizes for some of the older students. Titles such as _Robin Hood_, _Treasure Island, _and _Grimm's Fairy Tales. _

Throughout the day, Christy found herself missing Neil, and hoping everything was going alright. She wondered if there would be any killing going on, and somehow she wished there wouldn't be. A slight skirmish brought her attention back to the classroom as she found Creed Allen and Zacharias Holt fighting over some small object in Creed's hand.

"Boys… boys! What is going on here?" She asked, walking over to them and staring at them with a look that would not cater to nonsense.

"Creed thar has my arrowhead." Zacharias looked at the other boy suspiciously. But Creed was shaking his head fervently.

"Ain't no sech thing, Teacher, he be lying for shore. This here is mine, found it up at Doc's place t'other day." Christy sighed, realizing this was becoming another "he did it/she did it" fight that was likely to get nowhere.

"Alright, let me have it." She held out her hand firmly.

"Now look whatcha did." Zacharias whispered. Creed looked from her hand to Teacher's face, and back to her hand in solemn resignation. Slowly and reluctantly he gave her the precious stone. She nodded once in approval and tucked the rock into her skirts waist.

"Now," she said, turning back to walk up the steps, "if you two behave, you will get this back before you go home." She turned and eyed the two boys before continuing with the days lessons. Inwardly she was grinning to herself, but of course she could never let that show. She faced the classroom and swept them with her eyes before continuing.

"Class, for history today I want us all to continue reading about the American Revolution." She said, and instantly she had their attention again. For some reason unknown to her, these children craved stories of war. Perhaps it was because tales of George Washington and Samuel Adams contained what these children had witnessed for themselves; the hangings, the cries for liberty, the independence and the loyalty. Well, she had to admit, they did make for exciting adventure stories. Bloodshed, heroism, bravery, lady-loves, hanging and disease, defiance against an unjust super power… all the elements that go into to making up a great adventure story were there. Even the young ones, who couldn't always understand what she was talking about, especially when she spoke of "democracy" and "government", loved listening to the battle scenes.

At recess that day Christy stayed inside, grading papers and eating quietly at her own desk. She did the paperwork, but her heart really wasn't in it today. Snatches of conversation she had heard whispered during school had bothered her.

"_Think they'll cum back?"_

"_Naw… my Paw'll shoot 'em, fer sure."_

"_Shoot fire! They'd be sorry iffin they cum to us."_

She knew exactly who they were talking about, and she could see the undeniable fear and worry in the eyes of some of the girls. Christy thought about each one of her children, and Ruby Mae's absence made her feel strange. She actually missed the red headed girl, now young woman, who had talked so much. The young wife and mother-to-be was, of course, at her cabin, washing and cooking and quilting. And she was happy. But all the same, Christy still missed her.

As the children were called back in and it was time for the Bible classes, Christy was surprised when she saw David. For the past few months it had been Miss Alice, and while Christy had caught fleeting glimpses of David, he had always managed to stay away from her. Now, although he did not meet her eye, he didn't appear quite so moody. With the children he was the same old Mr. Grantland, and to all but the oldest children, nobody suspected anything to be aloof between the minister and the schoolteacher. His big, booming voice rang out just as it had every time she heard him speak to a group, and so she began to relax. It had been strange, his behavior towards her. He had gone from open hostility at first to this new attitude - coolness. She wasn't sure which she had preferred, but this one was almost worse than his anger.

The day was drawing to a close and Christy looked up from her desk at the impatient children. With a smile she announced that school was over, and watched happily as they all scrambled out of their seats and out the door. She giggled and shook her head, then looked back down at the paper in front of her. She needed to get these assignments written up for tomorrow, and she figured that the schoolhouse would perhaps be the best place to do it.

It was dark by the time Christy closed her books. She rubbed her temples wearily and as she looked out into the night, her thoughts flew to Neil. She listened to the wind howl around the building and wondered if he was warm or not. Had he eaten properly all day? She grinned, realizing how many times Neil had asked these questions of her… take care of yourself, he'd say. A fond smile crept to her lips, and again she sent up a prayer to God, thanking Him for Neil and asking Him to keep him safe. It was all she could do to keep from pacing. Of course, she realized, he had said several days, so she shouldn't expect him so soon. But she still worried.

_I might as well go to the mission, Ida and Miss Ida will want to know where I am. _She thought, and started to get up. But as she did she saw the figure of Alice Henderson standing patiently in the doorway. The Quaker lady was, as always, peaceful looking.

"Thee has a lot on thy mind." Alice remarked, gazing steadily at the younger. Christy smiled and shook her head,

"I'm sorry, I should have come in sooner. I didn't mean to worry you." She said. Alice smiled and walked over to the various pictures on the walls, drawn by the children. Her gray eyes were thoughtful, so Christy kept silent. She had learned from experience long ago that it was always better to wait and hear Alice's thoughts. They were not forthcoming.

"Christy," she turned and looked at the young woman. "David is in agony." Christy looked down at her lap briefly.

"I know." She said quietly. "But I don't know what to do for him." Alice looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"I have talked with him, more than once." Another pause.

"And?" Christy gently prodded.

"And…" Miss Alice sighed, and sat down in one of the seats. "The answer is not easy. I think thee would do well to talk with him." She said.

"But, what should I say? And how do I speak to him without making him think I'm rekindling an old flame?" Christy asked.

"That, Miss Huddleston, is what prayer is for." Alice said firmly. When Christy sighed in an exasperated way, Alice came forward to her. Reaching out to stroke her head, she smiled tenderly.

"You must mend this. I have done what I can, but you must make the biggest step in correcting this… David should, actually, but he will not." She leaned over and kissed the younger on her forehead.

"Prayer does marvelous things." And with that she exited the schoolroom, leaving Christy alone to her thoughts.

She stayed up into the wee hours of the night, walking the floor in her room and praying with her Bible clutched to her chest. She really had no idea what she would say to David, and for some reason the prospect of talking with this man who once considered himself her sweetheart was a little unnerving. As night gave way to early morning Christy, exhausted, finally crawled into her bed and drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Neil floating in her head. The last thing she envisioned before falling asleep was Neil's unruly red curls and strongly chiseled features.

That morning, after a cup of coffee and a piece of toast with apple butter smeared on it, Christy made her way down to David's bunkhouse. The familiar path wasn't very comforting this morning, and as she knocked on the door she was beginning to have second thoughts. Thankfully she didn't have very long to contemplate what she had just done, as David came before the third knock. He opened the door and looked at her in silence. He stayed where he was in the doorway and eyed her with suspicion.

"May I come in?" Christy asked.

"No, I don't think you should. It isn't proper." He was not completely unkind, just distant. Christy sighed.

"David, we can't keep going on like this" She began.

"I never planned to." He said flatly. She paused, this wasn't going anywhere.

"I wasn't very mature, David, I'm sorry. I didn't know what I wanted, and I think that because of that, I hurt you." David chuckled bitterly.

"You can say that again. All I ever did was love you, and you used it."

"Your love was selfish though. You only wanted to kiss me, or touch me… so often when I wanted to talk, you never wanted to listen! True love is more than just physical, David." She was now getting angry at his tone. David just looked at her with a blank expression, then shrugged and moved past her.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To get Prince, I need to go to El Pano." He replied shortly. "I'd like to be friends." She called after him. This made him stop, and turn around to consider her statement.

"Friends? Tired of Neil already?" He said.

"No, of course not! I love Neil, always will. I don't, however, want to be your enemy for the rest of our lives." She replied. David looked at her, and his brown eyes softened a bit. For the first time in their conversations thus far, she saw him weakening in his resolve.

"Christy, I'll always love you… I guess that's the problem. We can't just pick up a friendship and pretend that nothing ever happened between us." He sighed wearily. "I've decided to leave for Boston in the morning - I don't know how long I'll be gone." He turned around and kept walking, but his last words had made her desperate to mend their relationship in some form, and so she followed after him.

"David, please…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. The expression on her face was pleading, pleading for him to stay and forgive her. David stopped again, turned and looked at her with a hurt look in his eyes, and smiled faintly.

"I hope Neil is good to you." He said softly, a momentary look of anger coursing through his eyes at the mention of the doctor. Then he turned around and resumed his trek to the barn. Christy was now stopped, staring after him in exasperation, wishing she could somehow make him feel better.

"Wherever he goes, Lord, let Him find your will." And slowly, sadly, she turned around to go back to the mission. It was her fault, she thought; if she had just been mature enough to sort out who her true love was at the beginning, none of this would have happened.


	4. Surprise!

_Chapter 4_

_Surprise!_

_The day dawned chilly and damp. Fog descended from above the mountains to cover Cutter Gap with a thick hazy white. Swirls of fog shrouded trees and layered on the forest floor, causing the wet black of the trees to contrast more than ever with its surroundings. The fog had done its best to block out the sun, but had only partially succeeded, so the day was dim and gloomy. Alice was gone again and Neil and the men still weren't back. It was now the beginning of the fifth day since their departure, and Christy was beginning to get really worried._

"_I have one suggestion for you" Miss Alice had told her, sitting on top of Goldie with her riding hat, skirt and jacket. The Quaker lady was absolutely beautiful, she thought, gazing fondly at the scene. _

"_Pray, Miss Huddleston." She finished, and then blew Christy a kiss and left. Christy felt discouraged. It was the same thing Miss Alice had told her when Christy told the woman about her talk with David. Christy briefly closed her eyes, remembering the scene all too well..._

_"I feel so helpless, like I want to make him feel better but can't. Am I being unreasonable?" Christy asked, looking up from her lap into Miss Alice's eyes. The older woman sat beside her on her bed, patient and thoughtful. _

It's amazing that she's found what so few people have in life, and she's helped me with my own slow discovery. I'm still not anywhere near her, but I want to be. Oh, someday Lord! _She thought, watching her beloved mentor for any sign of disapproval or anger. There was none, only a depth of sorrow in her quiet eyes that few ever knew._

_"Christy, thee must pray, for David. God works wonders... I'm living proof of that." She smiled tenderly, reaching up to push a stray hair out of Christy's face._

_"Thee must trust that God's love is profoundly greater, and deeper, and wider, than any of ours."_

A small smile came to Christy's face and she opened her eyes again, finding herself again on her balcony. The calm and quiet so innocently deceived those who were not familiar with the recent events, though there were not many of those. The whole Cove was now on the alert, girls and women keeping doors and windows closed and - if possible - barricaded. It was a start, but Christy knew well if those desperate outlaws really wanted to do harm, the highlanders meager "protection" wouldn't do much to stop them. And with most of the men gone, it made everyone edgy. 

Christy sighed longingly, feeling as though her heart might burst. Where was Neil? Was he okay? A million 'what ifs' ran through her mind, and she found herself going crazy. When she wasn't busy planning school assignments she would pace the floor in her room, chewing her pencil and running through possible scenarios. Her mind and heart, of course, refused to believe that he was hurt, but that didn't stop her overactive imagination from conjuring up pictures of Jeb and Bog carrying him between them, Neil's red curls clinging to his head in a mass of sticky blood. Even at night she wasn't safe from these terrors… they pursued her relentlessly, often inventing far worse fates for her husband-to-be. By the morning of the sixth day, she realized she had to stop, she couldn't give into these dreams anymore. They were making her feel like she was losing control - she couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and found that even concentrating on house hold chores was getting rough. On top of everything else, Miss Alice had made the decision before leaving to postpone school indefinitely, until the men had returned with word of the criminals whereabouts. It wouldn't do to have any of the children hurt. While Christy wholeheartedly believed that they should keep the children safe, she was sad over the postponement of school. She loved teaching and loved seeing all the faces of the children brighten up when they had tackled a really hard math problem and succeeded. It made her feel good and she missed it.

Of course, with her knowledge of God and Miss Alice's ever constant faith, Christy knew she must not lose hope. God had kept her alive and had brought Neil back to himself... would He not continue to protect them?

By mid-afternoon the fog hadn't lifted, and Christy was beginning to feel useless, and helpless to do anything for Neil. Her thoughts began to wander around the Cove, and she wondered how the other families were dealing with their men being gone. She wondered how Zady and Clara were doing… and decided to find out.

At first Ida gave her a large resounding "no", saying that it was absolutely dangerous with those men "heaven knows where". But after some more pleading and promising to be careful, Ida reluctantly gave in. So, packing enough food for herself and the Spenser children in a basket she saddled Buttons and took off. For any other animal the swirling fog and mist would have been enough to cause them to spook and bolt. But Buttons was a sensible animal and even with her short time in the Cove had become adapted to the winters here, including fog and shadows. Christy, on the other hand, while definitely overcoming her fear, was still struggling with how dark it had gotten. She knew it was still early in the day, but the fog had obscured the sunlight, causing the tree branches to cast shadows over everything - throwing much of the forest into darkness and gloom. Thankful for the surefooted horse she was riding, Christy began praying on the ride over to the Spensers. She prayed mostly for Neil's safe, and speedy, return as well as the return of all the men who had gone. She prayed for David, that he would forgive her, and she prayed for each one of her friends and family in turn as an image of them came into her mind. An image of Neil's handsome, strongly masculine features was enough to send her heart fluttering. Every time he looked at her she would blush, a soft rosy glow that crept into her cheeks and made them burn hot. Neil would always see this and smile at her, the kind of smile that he had just for her. He once told her even how much he loved to see her, and make her, blush, and that it was very becoming on her. He liked the color in her cheeks. Of course this would send her over the edge and she would soon be beet red, all the while smiling. It was strange, she thought, but he somehow seemed to make her feel, well, shy. Like a small child. Rather than abhor the feeling like she had for the first year that she knew him, she now actually enjoyed it. It made him laugh, and she loved to hear his rich, baritone laugh and see the sparkle in his eyes when he enjoyed something. For that reason she had even learned to enjoy his teasing… because she loved to see his reaction.

Dogs barking made her glance up, snapping instantly out of her daydreaming, to see the Spenser cabin, looming out of the white like a black barricade, but never looking more friendly to her. It was amazing how fast her trek through the woods had been. Dismounting, she walked the rest of the way on foot, leading Buttons.

"Hello!" She called out, knowing they wouldn't hurt her but still feeling it only proper to follow the mountain custom. She had expected to see perhaps Lulu or Least 'un appear in the doorway and, with a large grin of recognition on their face, disappear inside to tell the others. But now it seemed quiet... like a tomb. Much too quiet.

Instantly sensing that something was wrong, Christy began forward, only to be stopped dead in her tracks as two large men stepped out from behind trees in front of her. They both held cruel looking rifles and equally cruel expressions on their hard faces. 

"Who are you, and what do you want?" She asked a bit shakily, trying to keep the fear from her voice. _If they've done anything to the children I'll make them regret it. _She thought. Neither one spoke as they began coming towards her and Buttons. _I can outrun them, and I must. The Spenser children might need help._ She thought, turning to mount Buttons again. But as she turned she almost came face to face with another man. This one was dirty and in need of a shave, with a wild look in his eyes and a wicked grin on his face. Christy started to let out a scream when the man slapped her hard across the face with the back of his hand. Christy stumbled back under the blow into the hands of one of the other men, who had apparently come up from behind during the distraction. He cupped one strong arm around her waist and the other he firmly clamped on her mouth.

"Don't cry little girl, or once were done with the Doc you'll get it too." She was momentarily silenced as she let the full ramifications of what this man had said settle in. Neil? What did they want with him? And how did they know that she… and she stopped herself suddenly, in sheer horror. They had been following her, and Neil too. That was why they knew she was with him. But what else did they know, and why did they want him? Thoughts flew through her head rapidly as the third man she had first seen came up behind her too. Her immediate response was to struggle, to break free and go find Neil. Or go to the mission first, then somehow go warn Neil about their presence. She no longer doubted that these were three of the moonshiners who had shot Uncle Bog, but where was the fourth?

Now the man from behind had pushed her roughly, forward into the waiting arms of the one that had served as a distraction. He grabbed her and held her firmly against his chest, laughing raucously. No matter how much she struggled to get free, the man held her with his iron grip. She tried crying out once more but was silenced by a hard smack from behind that caused her head to spin and, within a few moments, sticky liquid to trail down her head.

"Shut yer mouth, girlie, or by the time were done with you, you'll wish you was dead." A deep, undeniable masculine voice from behind her said roughly. It caused shivers to run up and down her spine, prickles that caused the hair on her arms to pinch. Then she felt her arms being yanked from her sides backwards and pulled in an unnatural fashion. It hurt, but the memory of being struck was still too recent and she was beginning to learn her lesson. Within another moment she felt something - rope, obviously - being wrapped around her wrists and then tied unbearably tight. The rope was already cutting into her flesh as the man in front released her and with a rough shove sent her to the ground. She tried to roll over to avoid the worst of it but it was too late, and she struck the ground hard, making the back of her head throb. In an instant the man who had held her knelt down beside her ankles. He pushed her skirt back a little, exposing her bare legs, and began grinning. 

_Don't you dare touch me... _she thought, frightened but unwilling to show it. Instead of acting on his thoughts the man pulled another piece of rope out of his pocket and wrapped it around her ankles, again pulling it as tight as he could. She winced slightly, and the man looked up from his task. Of about medium height and dressed as plainly as the rest of the Cove, this man had shoulder length black hair and gray eyes set deep in their sockets.

"Remember now, I ain't never had a problem shootin' a meddlesome gal-woman, neither have any of them." He indicated the other two with a jerk of his head. She followed his movement and looked up into the two stern faces. One of them was smiling, showing rows of diseased teeth. Both held their guns at their chest, and she suddenly knew that both were loaded. Neil's warning that day about these men being jittery began to play through her head, over and over again. She decided against struggling further, but decided to risk one question.

"What are you going to do with me?" She asked, but quickly regretted it. The man who had tied her ankles got to his feet and smacked her so hard that she fell backwards again, this time the world swaying and threatening to turn black. Her ears were ringing and her head was throbbing, and a painful feeling on her lower lip told her it was swelling, but she still refused to let them feel any sort of victory, looking up into the man's face firmly.

"You'll see when ya get thar, now no more questions." He said roughly, eyes wild and dancing. He pulled out a handkerchief that had once been white muslin but now looked anything but clean and shoved half of it in her mouth, causing her to temporarily gag, and tying the corners tightly at the back of her head.

"I say we kill 'er now, then clear out and get Doc ourselves." One of the men said from behind him. 

"Naw, we mought not get his attention. But she will." He said, leaning forward and getting much too close to her. She tried leaning back, away from him, but this only put her in a compromising position as she laid on the ground with him almost on top of her. The smell of corn liquor, what the mountain folk called "white lightnin'", on his breath as he got near was almost overpowering, and she felt herself now very vulnerable and very much alone. There was a glint in his eye of something she did not like.

_Please Lord, _she prayed silently, _help me. _

"Red, we cain't fool around now, we needs to get back." One of the men behind said. For this interruption she was very thankful, because although she couldn't tell for certain, she felt confident by the way he was ogling her that the thoughts going through his mind were anything but wholesome.

"Alrighty men" the man they called 'Red' said, "we'll leave the horse. Don't need it." He winked at her slyly, then rose to his feet. Christy breathed a sigh of relief.

"'Sides, they mought pick up on that critter's prints. And we wouldn't want that." He said, looking down at her again. She felt her eyes drop to her boots to avoid his hungry stare. 

"What about her?" One of them asked, indicating Christy with a look of interest that was not unlike Red's. 

"Bring her. Sonny, get 'er." Red commanded, and then the man called Sonny came forward, a slightly smaller framed man with brown eyes as hard as flint, a grizzly mouth, and a stern countenance. He picked her up and swung her over his shoulder with ease. She looked back to see the third man whose name she did not know leading Buttons. Then she looked back at the Spenser cabin and saw a movement in the window. One of the children… they were safe! But probably terrified… who knows how long they had been shut up in their cabin, afraid to leave because of the men outside. John Spenser was not at their cabin anymore of course. After marrying Bessie he had gotten his own place further down the ridge. And besides, he would've been one of the men Neil had ridden to to ask for help. The Spensers were thoroughly reliable when it came to needing a hand, always had been. Zady and Clara would have naturally kept the younger ones inside behind closed doors to protect them. Had they seen her capture, she wondered? Even if they had, there would have been precious little they could've done about it. Two girls and two small children, alone and scared. Anger coursed through her veins as she thought of this, but as they kept walking the anger was gradually replaced by sadness, and then worry. _Neil! Do you know they're after you? They mean to kill you! I love you so much… don't let them find you! _Again she could see his handsome face and his beautiful, compassionate blue eyes. Even if they were to kill her, she would never let them get Neil, if she could possibly prevent it. Through and under all these thoughts, however, was the one question that stuck to her like a burr. _Why?_


	5. Crimson Sunrise

Chapter 5

Crimson Sunrise

Neil rode back to the mission in a haze of fatigue. The past several days had been less rewarding than he had hoped. One time he and the men had gotten close to them, and a few shots were exchanged. No one with him was injured and he wasn't sure if any of the moonshiners had even gotten hurt. It was a frustrating process, one that never seemed to end. And, through it all, was his desire to protect Christy, which had only been heightened since his dreams began. Was it just stress, a desire to protect her, or was it something else that had caused that nightmare last night?

He remembered it well... too well. It was still recent in his memory. _Christy was standing beside the river, where he loved seeing her. It was dark out, but the full moon on this night bathed everything in it's luminous, soft glow. Christy was wearing a white night gown, which he found odd, but for some reason it did not seem improper in his dream at all, only very beautiful. She appeared to him the perfect fairy queen, and for a moment he fancied a intricate crown of snow white laid on her soft, curly hair. Her delicate pink lips and fair, rosy cheeks made her look especially lovely, and he found himself drawn to this creature of magic. She appeared not to have seen him, but was staring off into the waters... those close yet distant waters of the river which gathered the moonbeams to its self and threw diamonds back into the air, sparkling and glimmering with magical radiance. Suddenly from behind a tree on the opposite bank a man stepped out from behind the bushes, and he had a gun in his hand and a expression on his face that meant "kill". Neil saw him and, horrified, tried to warn Christy, but she could not hear him. Frantically he raced down to protect her by the waters edge but he could not reach her in time. An explosion of the rifle and Christy grabbed at her chest, falling into the water dead. _

_"NO!" Neil shouted... but as much as he ran forward, he kept going back..._

After he had determined that it was only a nightmare, Neil had laid back down, but sleep eluded him. He kept tossing and turning and had made himself so worried that before the sun had even risen that morning, he was up and had everything ready to go.

Neil had thought about Christy often those pat few days, and now his desire to see her was at an all-time high. His thoughts kept telling him "go to Christy", "Christy needs you" and "go now, hurry". Was this just his worry talking? He was almost tempted to put this down as loneliness, but this seemed to be a deeper, stronger urging, coming from something deep inside his heart. All he knew was that when he saw her standing on the mission porch waiting for him his heart would leap into his chest. He would tie Charlie to the post out front and run up the steps, scoop her up in his arms and hug her fiercely. He felt so right with her by his side, and as soon as he got back to his cabin, he knew, there was a certain little trinket that he would be handing her, along with the question he knew she was dying to hear. He hoped she would say "yes".

Jeb and John Spenser soon left his company to return to their homes. So did Bog, and Isaac McHone, who had grown so strong since his father's death that he had gained a favorable reputation around the Cove, and Neil wanted him to join them on their hunt. The little company dispersed one by one until it was just Neil left, making his way silently to the mission house. He would be heading home shortly after, but he first wanted to see Christy. The anxiousness that he had felt about her earlier would not go away, though he found this very strange, almost supernatural in its insistence and strength. Then he wondered, maybe it _was_ supernatural. He urged Charlie to a trot, then a gallop across the last field before he reached the mission, concern for the unknown weighing on him like a wet blanket.

As he reached the mission he saw that all was quite. Maybe Christy had just not seen him, it was silly to get so upset over a mere feeling. But then when Ida ran out to the porch, the look on her face made something in the pit of his stomach squeeze.

"Ida?" He asked, almost scared to continue. "Where's Christy?"

"She left early this afternoon to visit the Spensers… when I heard the horse I thought it might be her finally so I came out to look." A sense of dread washed over Neil instantly, but he quickly put it to the back of his mind. _Get a hold of yourself man. She could still be at the Spensers. _

"Ida, you'd better stay here, in case Christy comes back. Keep the doors locked, and stay away from the windows where you might be seen. We haven't found the men yet." He said with a deadly serious look in his eyes. Ida's hand instantly flew to cover her opened mouth. Both knew the potential seriousness of the situation, so no one felt the need to say anything else. Turning Charlie around, Neil called back over his shoulder,

"I'm going to find Christy." And then left the mission yard at a gallop.

Charlie knew his way to the Spensers almost as well as he knew his way to Neil's cabin. Dr. MacNeill had been to the Spensers numerous times for everything from births to poison ivy, and he knew a shorter route than the one Christy usually took. He had taught it to her but she still preferred the longer, but less steep, route. "I'm no horse woman" she'd say, with her big blue eyes shining up at him. How he loved the way her hair felt as he smoothed it down, or how it smelled so delicately of lavender when it swayed in the breeze. If anything happened to her… _don't think about it, she's probably fine, stop getting yourself so worried. _He mentally saw Christy sitting in the Spensers cabin with Lulu on her lap, stroking the young girls hair as she told them all a story of Bonnie Prince Charles. She would look up as he entered the cabin and would smile that dazzlingly beautiful smile she reserved just for him, and her eyes would shine with joy. Everything would be fine.

As he reached the Spenser cabin he saw Buttons tied to a post out front and finally let out the breath of air he had been holding. He would tell her later how he had galloped over here, breathless, to see if she was okay and they would both share a good laugh. He smiled at the thought.

"Hello Jeb, I'm here to get Christy." Neil said as Jeb Spenser came out of the cabin. The man didn't reply at first, but the horror in his eyes told Neil that something was dreadfully wrong. The smile quickly disappeared from his face, and he tightened Charlie's reins in his hands.

"Where is she?" He asked, eyes darkening with concern and fear of the unknown. Jeb shook his head slowly.

"My Zady said that three men came earlier this mornin'" He began. Neil immediately froze, waiting to hear more and yet afraid of what he might hear.

"She said they asked her where you was, said she didn't rightly know. They laughed and carried on like they was plumb crazy… scared the little ones right bad. Pretty soon they got tired of tormentin' and left the house, but Zady could see them in the yard, hidin' and a spyin'. 'Bout noon time, along come Miz Christy…" Jeb's voice was shaking slightly, but he quickly got in under control.

"The men where lying around the cabin in ambush - Zady said she kept Clara and the young'uns inside for fear of what might happen. I waz just comin for ya Doc, she said they took Miz Christy." He finished. Neil swallowed hard past the lump forming in his throat. Noon, that was about the time his strange inner feelings to go to her had begun! He looked down at his saddle horn desperately, trying to figure out where he should go next. They could be anywhere! Jeb had said they were looking for him, was it possible they knew where his cabin was? Would they force the information out of Christy? Christy… He had to get to her, she could be hurt, or if not already, they might…

"Did any of the children see which way they went?" He asked quickly.

"They said the men left going towards your place Doc." Jeb answered solemnly.

"Jeb, we've got to find her…" he began, trying to rein in his wild thoughts, but the mountain man was already ahead of him, and he left running to get Buttons, who the children had caught after they were sure the men were gone, then came back to saddle her.

"Organize a search party as quickly as you can and meet me at…" _Where? _Neil thought, casting around for a suitable place."My cabin" He finished, and quickly turned Charlie around. "I'll be there waiting!" He yelled and then started Charlie back towards his cabin at the fastest pace he could. Jeb had almost finished tacking his horse up. He nodded to Neil's instructions and was just finishing with the saddle when Neil rode away.

Neil, for his part, knew that if Christy was hurt he would need his medical bag. Also, and this thought brought him a little hope, maybe they had taken her to his cabin. Maybe he wouldn't even have to search, and in that case all the others with him would be able to overpower the men and rescue Christy. This was his hope, no matter how frail it was.

"Please God" he whispered, "keep her safe".

The skies were getting prematurely dark as he finally approached his cabin. The weather looked like it might become worse, instead of better, overnight and it didn't show much chance for improving. He had ridden Charlie hard all the way and now, as he paused for a moment to stare at his cabin rising up out of the mist like a dark fist, Neil prayed once again that she might be inside.

"Christy!" He called, swinging himself down off of Charlie and running up to the door. He hesitated briefly before going in, afraid of seeing what his brain had already told him. Christy was not there.

"Christy, lass, where are you?" He said loudly, sweeping the main room from floor to ceiling with his eyes. But it was as desolate as a tomb. He ran up the stairs and even tried his laboratory… nothing. Neil's jaw tightened with anger but he refused to give in. Grabbing the typical medical supplies, including plenty of bandages and his surgical instruments, Neil took them all out to the saddle pouch and put them inside. He was just re-cinching the girth on Charlie's saddle when Uncle Bogg, Jeb and John Spenser, Bob Allen, his son Rob Allen, and half a dozen other men showed up. Neil could tell by their expressions that they knew how serious this was, so he didn't need to bother going into much detail over that. He met Jeb's eyes and nodded briefly in thanks, then climbed back onto his horse and surveyed the men. Solemn, hard, and sometimes sad faces looked back at him… but all were determined. Neil was always amazed at how this young schoolteacher with all the fancy ideas and funny speech, the one who came from "yan" had been so readily accepted in the Cove. She had met her difficulties, absolutely, but she had shown everyone that she had come to love and help them and she was willing to stay, no matter what the circumstances. It had finally won the hearts of some of the most stubborn mountain men, including Neil's.

"I don't know how much Jeb has told you, but Christy was kidnapped by the Spensers." He paused before continuing. "We think it was the men we were hunting." He studied the eyes of the men before him briefly. John Spenser betrayed his anguish the most, though Neil knew they were all sorry to hear this.

"We have to split up, she could be anywhere and she might be hurt. Remember, she'll be with these men, who as we know are armed and ready for a fight." He said, and immediately the men formed a plan of action. They split themselves into four groups of three each, and after working out a system for letting the others know when they found her, all twelve men left in their appropriate directions. Neil's hands gripped Charlie's reins tightly as he rode off, as fast as was reasonable possible in the sometimes thick brush. He resolved not to let himself think about what could have happened to her, it was an endless list and he would just get so worried that he'd be useless in finding her. Rather, as Neil searched the ever-darkening gloom, he turned to something that he was not yet used to turning to. Neil MacNeill bowed his head and prayed like he had during her illness.

**Authors Note: Honestly, I must be doing something wrong. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the support you guys have given me! And about the underline, I'm really sorry. I don't understand that... I DID NOT write it that way, it just posted that way when I uploaded it. Have no clue. Hope it wasn't too difficult to read... thanks for the reviews! Please accept this early chapter as my apology for the underline/italics thing. Read and review, tell me what you think! **


	6. Rain Clouds

Chapter 6

Rain Clouds

Christy Huddleston clenched her teeth against the biting wind, as the men dragged her body along the dirt path. They had walked unceasingly for almost a day now and Christy could no longer tell where they were. On their right was a flat piece of land covered in pine needles and wild blueberry bushes. It was like an orchard, she thought as she counted them. Sixty bushes, ranging from small to large in size, all grew in this center of the woods where the trees were thinner. Here mature oaks, maples, and a few pines shaded out any saplings that might try to grow on this ground covered with brown pine needles and old leaves. Large carpet patches of mosses grew here and there, on flat slabs of rock or else at the base of a large maple, and the whole place smelled richly of pine and decomposing oak leaves. The rich black loam reminded Christy of last week in her schoolroom when the children had examined a clump of dirt. Her lesson had been to show the children how much life goes on unseen underneath the ground, and she had even been able to get a microscope from Neil. That thought made her sigh heavily. Neil! She wanted to cry out, to have him come running down from some distant hill and comfort her, to hold her and caress her face, telling her how much he loved her and that it would be alright. But as she glanced around, all she could see was the same pine needle brown and darkened bark, rolling on all around her, hill over hill. Endlessly.

To her left she noticed, with a bit of fear, that the ground dropped suddenly to a woodland floor. It was a straight down drop, and though it wasn't much higher than maybe fifteen feet, she kept wishing that her kidnapper would take them away from it. But he seemed to sense her dread and maliciously got closer to the edge. Now she could see that the edges of the earth where raw, as though some great monster had ripped this chunk of dirt and root from its place and eaten it.

Christy deliberately took her eyes off of the cliff and forced herself to think, and listen. The low rumbling of thunder in the distance made her want to moan, but instinctively she glanced up at one of the men and clamped her mouth shut. The sky had remained gray and dreary, though the fog had let up a little. The mist had made the forest floor wet and as her capturers dragged her along her dress got damp, then moist, then finally soaking wet. The leaves that she was pulled through had clung to her skirts and arms, along with dirt and other debris. As she breathed in deeply, she forced herself to calm down. From somewhere nearby, in between the ever-increasing rumblings of thunder, was the quaint gurgling of a creek. She spotted it through the trees as she was taken on a trail that ran downward towards it.

Red, who had been leading the way for all of them suddenly turned and ducked underneath a lower hanging rock. Soon all of them, Christy included, followed suite. It was then that Christy gasped. She hadn't meant to, but the sight of what lay before her now had caused the last bit of hope inside her to dwindle. From the outside this harmless rock had looked exactly that, and surely much too small to house anyone or anything much bigger than a raccoon. Underneath, however, it was a hollowed out cave of sorts, large enough for several people to sit, hunched over slightly, underneath. The top of this rock was covered in moss and other weeds and so it looked entirely harmless and unsuspecting. She might never be found.

Red had heard her gasp and now just grinned at her slyly.

"Didn't know this was where we were at, did ya?" He snickered and turned to the back of the cave.

"George, come ir will ya?" He said quietly. A mass of darkness slowly detached itself from the back wall and made its way forward. It was then that Christy met the fourth man, and instantly she wished she hadn't. He was uglier by far than any other mountain man she had ever seen, and even when he breathed, from this distance, his breath stank horribly. His movements were even more unstable than the others and Christy suspected that he was completely drunk.

"Aww, Red. Why'd ya bring her? Didn't I tell ya not to?" The man spat angrily. "She knows too much now, to be let go."

"I was never gonna let er go." Red said firmly. Christy shivered and looked away.

"Well, it would be fun to have a gal woman at night I guess." He said, and Christy finally couldn't take anymore. She started crying, afraid of what those horrible men were going to do to her. Sonny, the man who had carried her, just laughed. But Red got angry.

"Shut yer mouth now like I told you" and the back of his hand flew into the air as if he would strike her. Christy flinched away from the hand, whimpered once more and bit her lower lip to stop crying.

"Thar now, be good. Don't want yer man to find us here." Red said, his voice harsh and rough.

The rain began about noon and kept going steadily, doing nothing to improve Christy's spirits. Most of the time she pretended to be asleep, praying they'd leave her alone_. Oh Neil, I want to be with you!_ She thought, and wrapped her arms closer to her to ward off the cold.

Her dreams that night were tortured. She saw Neil but couldn't get to him. She saw him and she saw Sonny loading his rifle, aiming at him. Neil was completely unaware of the situation and as she heard the _boom! _from the gun she screamed. Eyes opening suddenly, she blinked back tears and glanced around her. The smell of moonshine hung damply in the stale air of the cave, almost making her gag.

At least Neil was safe… he was safe. Or was he? She hadn't seen him since he left almost a week and a half ago. The moonshiners had said they were going to find him, so obviously they hadn't killed him.

_Not yet, _she thought grimly, _but they might if I don't do something. _Pulling her sore muscles upward to a sitting position, with her back against the cave, she surveyed the area around her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she began to see more and more. All four men lay sound asleep, dozing thickly, probably as a result of too much liquor, and snoring loudly. This, she thought, was perhaps her only ally. Maybe they would stay too drunk, and ignore her. Resting her head against the cold wet stone behind her, she closed her eyes and instead of picturing Neil as shot, tried to picture him as she loved him best. Calm and relaxed. Yes, like after they'd been out on a picnic and as he was saying goodbye, when he looked into her eyes with such a strong devotion that she knew meant forever. Or the way his eyes would take on an amused look when she figured out how something worked. She smiled in memory of some of those times. He had been teaching her to be a nurse, in much the same way he taught Alice. Only this, she knew, was more enjoyable to him. He found her amusing and wonderful and loved being with her.

Suddenly in the midst of her surroundings her heart grew warmer. She pictured his face, those rugged features and beautiful blue eyes that lit up whenever she was near. How his crumpled, pushed-up shirt sleeves and unkempt red curls showed his impatience. But she loved his curls, it was just a part of him… like fishing, and singing, and dancing. Though she had at first thought he desperately needed a haircut, she now wished he would never get one.

She remembered dancing, the swaying of her body to the music - like often in those past twelve months, ever since their courtship, it had been only with him. She remembered the lightness of her feet, the smile on his face, and the feeling of his hand resting gently on her shoulder. She remembered the feeling of captivating, invigorating fire every time he touched her. Throughout the entire dance, it was impossible to think of anything other than him, and his hands on her shoulder and around her waist. How she loved dancing, especially with Neil…

"Lord, I don't understand this." She whispered, trying desperately not to wake any of the men, "but I know You're here with me. Protect me, please protect Neil, and keep us safe. In Jesus' name I pray, amen." A tear trickled silently down her cheek as she opened her eyes again, this time turning her attention to what she could see between trees of the sun rising. Today, for once, the beautiful pinks and crimsons did not make her want to dance for joy. Instead a slow throbbing beat in her heart.

Sonny was the first to wake up. Looking out at the sky he then turned to Red and the others.

"Red, Gus, wake up. You too, George. It's time to get going." George? A name like that, in Cutter Gap? The name surprised Christy momentarily but she made no mention of it, pretending to be in a daze and refusing to meet the eyes of her capturers. From out of the corner of her eye she could see George pick up a small pistol from the rock floor and, after checking it briefly, grunted and tucked it away inside his coat. He caught her watching him and glared at her, unintelligent green eyes that had the look of an outlaw stamped on them. Christy turned away.

"Good mornin' sweetheart." A voice almost on top of her said. She quickly glanced up to see Red sitting dangerously close to her.

"Hope the accommodations weren't too bad." He sneered, taking out a knife and after forcibly turning her around, cut the ropes that held her wrists. His reaction was lightning fast and he reached for one of her arms. She pulled it away quickly, and for a moment he seemed startled by her strength. Regaining himself quickly, however, Red got up on his knees and bent over her, taking the arm again and yanking it towards him. She turned her face to meet his and he stared at her for a moment, hard gray eyes with malice in them. Still holding her arm, he slapped her across her face with his other hand, so hard that she whimpered. She tried to back up but the cave wall was at her back and he hit her again, and then again, and again. It seemed the blows would never stop, and she was beginning to lose consciousness. There was a dull stinging across her face, a ringing in her ears, and a light headed feeling that she knew from experience was not a good sign.

"Lord please!" She said out loud, tears running down her face, tears mingling with her own blood. Red froze with his hand in midair, poised to strike her again.

"Don't ever mention that name!" He nearly shrieked at her, and his grip on her arm became tighter. She gasped as his dirty finger nails dug into her skin. But he did not strike her again. He got in her face and stared at her.

"Unless you want things to get ugly real quick, I suggest you not fight with me." He said, the smell of homemade liquor on his breath almost suffocating. Christy's lower lip was trembling, her head spinning, and the world growing black, but she stared him full in the face, hoping he would see her determination and back down. After looking at her for a moment, he decided to switch tactics.

"Aww, come on sister." He said in a whining voice that reminded her of a three year olds.

"I wuz just gonna have a little fun." He said, then tried reaching for her other arm. Quickly jerking it back to herself she brought her fist up in a blow that she intended to land under his chin. Red was quicker, though, and reached out to grab her hand right above the wrist. Pushing it to the ground, he grabbed the other and did the same, then once he had both arms controlled he jerked her upright with such force that Christy felt it in her joints. She gritted her teeth and just concentrated on staying focused. Red stared at her for a long time in silence.

"C'mon boys, lets take this schoolteacher to be reunited with her husband." He said without glancing away. _Husband? _Christy wondered, _Do they think Neil and I are married? _But she hadn't further time to consider this possibility. Red tied her hands again, as tight as he possibly could and this time in front, and cut the ropes on her ankles. As a last measure before leaving, he yanked out her hair ribbon and dropped it to the stone floor. Christy flinched as the force of his yank also took out a few strands of hair, but she said nothing. As her long hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, she saw the men watching with delight. She thought about crying but didn't, reasoning that the less attention she drew to herself, the better. It was nothing short of a miracle that they had left her alone thus far. _A miracle_, she thought, and within her heart the hope that she had been clinging to began to grow. _God will protect me, _she thought resolutely. A rough shove to her back sent her out of the cave into the rain. The cold mountain air caused her to begin shivering inside her dress, and it seemed like forever before Red, who from behind had both hands on her upper arms, decided to move. He was holding on to her so tightly that she was certain she would have two nasty bruises, though that was probably the least of her worries.

About two hours of steady walking brought them to a place Christy recognized as being not far from the McHone cabin. She and Fairlight, then later Opal, had come here many times before. The woods were very thick and dense here, and as the men pushed and dragged her through the underbrush, thorny limbs and briars grabbed her dress and hair, snagging and pulling and scratching. By the time they were finally through the worst of it, Christy looked decidedly worse, with tiny ribbons of red blood appearing all over her body and face.

Another half an hour and the men came to the edge of a river. Christy almost cried out but stopped herself suddenly. This river was the same one that ran behind Neil's cabin! A different part, of course, but she now knew exactly where they were. She could only pray that deliverance would come soon.

_Neil walked up the steps leading up to his porch and stopped dead in his tracks. On the porch, railing, and door was fresh blood, and something else. The gold chain and cross necklace that belonged to... no! Christy! Running up the steps to the door he flung it open and found himself looking down the angry barrel of a rifle. A spark, explosion and deafening roar filled his mind._

Neil nearly jumped as he awoke and looked around him. He was in the middle of the mountains where he and the others, being too exhausted to continue, had made camp. The dream was still too real in his mind's eye and he found himself shaking. With a sense of dread he felt that Christy's time might be coming to an end. He had to find her, or the next time he saw her, if ever, he'd be burying her. A quick tear came to his eye. _No, don't think like that. _

After a quick meal of bread and cheese to keep them going, the men in Neil's party set out, with Neil leading the way. With reluctance he realized he would need to go back to his cabin to get some more supplies that in his mad rush had been forgotten. _Think man, think. You're no good to her like this. _He scolded himself. The others in his party had agreed to go with him and then they would continue their search. This, at least, was the plan.

No one said anything to Neil, no one ever dreamed of telling him it was hopeless, though they all knew it probably was. Every last one of them had seen Neil and Miss Christy together; had seen the fire light in his eyes as he danced with the woman he loved. They had seen her listen with enthusiasm and unbridled joy to his stories, and he in return loving to tell her them. No, they had seen the couple's love for one another, and they didn't have the heart to tell him to give it up.


	7. Freedom?

Chapter Seven

Freedom?

By the time Christy and the four men had made it to Neil's cabin, the rain had lightened a little. The mist was soon back, curling around every tree and engulfing every bush in its wraith like appearance, causing an involuntary shiver to run down Christy's spine. The men were ruthless in their stride and Christy thought that a walk like this would have killed her two years when she first came here; taking the seven mile trek with Ben Pentland and making it seem like a small walk around the park. She watched her breath turn white in front of her as she walked stiffly forward in her cold wet clothes. Neil's cabin, empty though it was, brought with it a sort of relief. It was like seeing a friend's face again after being alone for a long, long time. Gus used the butt of his rifle to push the front door open, then after hearing nothing, pushed Christy inside. His shove was so forcible that she stumbled into a chair, bruising her shin and nearly toppling over. She had no sooner steadied herself from the first assault then Gus walked up behind and shoved her into the chair roughly.

"Now sit thar. And keep quiet." He told her, and then went to a far corner to discuss the plan with the others. One of the men had apparently found an oil lamp and a match, as was evident by the soft glow of the flame. Christy could hear the low sound of their voices but could not distinguish their words. Christy glanced around the room and found herself missing Neil's presence. He had so much life and interest that without him, the cabin seemed nothing more than an empty shell with some furniture in it. A thin layer of dust covering the kitchen table reminded her of how many days Neil had been gone, and just how vacant the place was. The pictures around the cabin were all there, right where they should be. His pipe back in it's place, and it was almost impossible to see where the stem had been broken at. She knew that the pieces were just sitting side by side, and if someone were to pick it up they would be holding two pieces, but still it felt nice to see that pipe there. She had been the one that had requested he not throw it away.

Christy's teeth chattered together involuntarily. There was no fire in the fireplace, the men hadn't bothered to light one. Neil's cabin was built well but the wind whistling down through the mountains had a way of finding the tiniest cracks to push through.

Except for the light that the men had lit, everything was dark and still... much too quite, Christy thought gloomily.

_Maybe when they're distracted I can..._ but stopped short in her thoughts when she heard the crunching of twigs underneath something heavy. She sucked in her breath, and waited to make sure she had actually heard it. It was a small sound, as small as an acorn falling from a tree in the forest, but enough to cause all four men to freeze instantly. They exchanged glances and then Red shot a glance at Christy that she couldn't quite interpret. The silence was almost infuriating as Red, crouching to the floor, slowly inched his way forward to the front window and looked out. Reaching behind him he took his rifle and slowly cocked it. He raised the window a little more than three inches and sat back on his heels.

"Yin's can stop right thar." He spat, raising his rifle to whoever was outside. Christy had been put in a chair towards the back of the cabin, and still could not see anyone.

"We got us a score to settle with ya Doc." He said vehemently. Christy instantly froze. _Neil?_

"First tell me where Christy is." The rich Scottish brogue filled the air. Christy rose from her chair to stop Red from shooting but two of the other men intercepted her, pushing her back against the wall with so much force that it took her breath away. As her back hit the wall, the men grabbed both of her arms, pulling and pushing until they got her back to the chair, causing her to grimace with pain.

"No, stop!" She screamed, seeing Red slide his hand down to the trigger. "Please!" She said, struggling with the men who had her held. But it was no use, they were both as strong as oxen, and she was rendered powerless. Effortlessly they held her as she struggled with all her might to get free. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she watched Red, crouched down with his rifle ready like a skilled hunter watching his prey.

"This problem is with me, not with her... she's never done anything to any of you." She heard Neil say. He was bargaining, she knew, trying to keep her safe. But Red just laughed.

"Well maybe not, but we figure if we had your gal woman, you'd come to us." There was a brief pause and Christy wondered what Neil was thinking... how was he going to get out of this one? More than ever she just wanted him safe, just wanted him to leave and get out of harm's way. But she also knew - and this thought was to her as joyous and refreshing as a cool breeze on a warm July day - that once here, Neil would _never_ leave her alone with them.

"Neil, stay back, it's a trap!" She screamed right before one of the men grabbed her by the throat. He pushed her back against the wall and glared at her. She felt his powerful, claw-like hand grip around her windpipe like a vise, and it was tightening.

"You always have ta learn things the hard way, don't ya?" He spoke fiercely, and for the first time in a long time Christy was truly afraid that this might be the end. His hand squeezed tighter and tighter and try as she might, she could not get free. Just then Red glanced back to see what was going on. His glance was casual, almost like there were nothing wrong with the other man's behavior.

"Gus, not yet." He said firmly. Gus looked at him blankly for a moment, then turned to her. Releasing his grip instantly, Christy dropped to the floor in a heap, gasping and rubbing her throat with her hands. The man just shrugged casually, took her by the wrist and propelled her into the chair. Before she had time to recover he had tied both hands expertly behind her. Still breathing hard, it was all Christy could do to stop the flow of tears from spilling down her cheeks.

Suddenly the back door swung open and the barrels of three rifles appeared, followed by one of the most welcome sights Christy Huddleston had ever seen.

"Ye mought want ta drop the gun" A voice said. It was Uncle Bogg, holding his own rifle steadily pointed at Red. But the older mountain man would not give up that easy, and raising his own gun quickly he fired, but it was too late. Uncle Bogg got to him first and the horrifying explosion of a rifle was heard. Christy squeezed her eyes shut to ward off the effects of what she knew had just happened. There was a sickening cry from Red, then nothing. The other men seemed panic stricken, and as Uncle Bogg looked across at them she was sure that one of them was going to pass out. But no one said a word. Christy refused to look at Red's body, afraid of what she would see.

"Now, I'll repeat what I told him, unless you need ta larn ya lesson too." Uncle Bogg said coldly. She had never seen such anger in the old man's eyes before, not since the death of his son Tom McHone.

Two of the men slowly lowered their rifles to the ground, hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, but the third... the man who she had met only back at their cave, stood his ground, staring at Uncle Bogg defiantly.

Neil came in through the front door and his eyes immediately found Christy. He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in his arms, but he didn't. He checked her position to make sure she wasn't in danger, then met her eyes with an expression that seemed to say, "just hold on, I'll get you after this." She knew how hard it was for him to wait, and so she tried her best to nod reassuringly.

Neil walked over and picked up the rifles of Gus and Sonny, then backed away. Jeb, after coming in behind Uncle Bogg, slowly raised his gun up to George's head.

"He said, drop it." Jeb said sternly. His jaw was clenched tightly and his muscular arms, holding the rifle steady, never moved. Placing the rifle on the ground, George slowly brought his hands up in mock surrender but at the last second changed directions and then quickly pulled out his pistol, and fired. Uncle Bogg fired too but George somehow managed to dodge it, sending himself crashing into the wall nearest Christy. Rolling onto his back, he leapt forward and captured her in an instant, grabbing her shoulder so hard it pinched.

"I'll kill her, he said, holding the pistol to her temple. _This is a dream, a nightmare, _Christy thought, looking over at Neil's panic stricken face. _I need to wake up... Neil..._

"Easy..." Neil warned. Uncle Bogg and Jeb both aimed right at George.

"Think you'll accomplish much?" Jeb asked the man. George didn't seem to know what to do, but he knew he wasn't going down without a fight. Lifting her up by his vise-like grip on her arm, he pulled Christy closer to him until she could feel his short, ragged breath on the back of her head. She closed her eyes to avoid meeting Neil's gaze, and instead she started praying. Time seemed to stand still as George contemplated his next move. Then he made a move to drag her to the front door, all the while putting Christy in front of him to serve as a shield. With the crowd of nervous onlookers, waiting to see what he would do next, George made it to the front door and swung the door back, exposing his side in the process. Uncle Bogg took full advantage of the opportunity and squeezed the trigger. A flash, explosion, and then Christy screamed, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt George's body shake. As George fell to the ground, mortally wounded, he pulled Christy with him. A second later and she felt his grip release.


	8. Road to Recovery

Chapter Eight

Road to Recovery

Christy didn't know whether to laugh or cry over being rescued. It was all over, she had been saved. Now that the immediate danger was over and the rush of adrenaline was gone, she realized just how much the day had taken out of her, and she found herself too weak and shaky to get up on her own.. Neil was by her side in an instant, picking her up and carrying her upstairs into his bedroom, leaving Bogg and Jeb to handle the other two. His strong arms supported her weary body, and she allowed herself to lean against his chest, burying her face in his shirt like she was ten. Everything ached, from her head to her blistered feet, and she was so,_ so_, very tired.

Neil carried her like she weighed no more than a leaf, and secretly he worried about how much weight she had already lost.

Setting Christy down on the bed tenderly, he looked her over for any serious injuries. Hair bedraggled, tousled and filled with twigs and leaves, face dirty and bloodied, dress wet and clinging to her where it had partially dried already, she was nevertheless the most beautiful thing Neil had ever seen.

She swayed as he set her down, as if she were too weak to even sit up. Noticing the problem instantly, Neil put a hand on her back and helped her lay down. Nothing had ever felt so good, and Christy found herself choking back a sob.

"I... thank you..." she managed to whisper, tears blurring her vision. She wanted to say more, wanted to show him her overflowing love and gratitude, but try as she might, no words would come. Neil looked at her softly, seeming to sense her need for comfort. Sitting down at the head of the bed, he began stroking her hair gently.

"Shh... it's okay, your safe now." He said soothingly. His blue eyes were filled with concern as he studied her for a moment.

"Does anything hurt?" He asked. Christy shook her head, and the doctor seemed grateful. He thought for a moment and then stood up, careful not to move the bed too much.

"I'll be right back" he said before turning and leaving the room. She watched him go, then closed her eyes and yawned. _Thank you Lord._ She thought earnestly, _for saving me, and for giving me Neil. _She still had her eyes closed when Neil made his way back into the room several minutes later with a clean bucket of warm, soapy water and a fresh rag. He sat down on the bed again so softly that she barely felt it. She opened her eyes again and looked over at him. Tall, handsome, definitely masculine and very stubborn, the one she had argued with so often... he was now sitting on the edge of the bed watching her still form with a look of worry and joy both in his beautiful eyes.

"Can I examine your face? It looks like you lost a lot of blood." He said quietly. Slowly she nodded her consent, and Neil finally let out the breath he had been holding in. Becoming at once a doctor again, Neil leaned over and began probing her skin, starting at the crown of her head. Gently feeling and pushing, Neil felt down both sides of her face and walking downward with his fingertips, felt her jaw line and under her chin for any deformities or cuts. Then beginning at the top of her head again, he began probing down her face and the back of her head. Christy stayed still and quiet throughout the entire examination, watching Neil's face as he worked. It still amazed her how focused he could become instantly. His eyes were intently watching her face, watching for a reaction from her as he completed the examination. His face was a mixture of relief and concern, but mostly relief. The doctor's close scrutiny ordinarily would have made her blush, but today she was just too exhausted.

_Neil is such a kind, gentle man. I wish he wasn't so worried about... ow!_ She flinched away from Neil's touch, and he stopped suddenly, noting the place that was hurt. It was right above her right eye. She remembered getting that... it was when, in the cave, Red had started hitting her. She shivered at the memory. Neil cleaned it up briefly and then looked up.

"Do you think you can sit up? You need to get out of those wet clothes." He said gently. Christy nodded, and Neil smiled at her - the first smile she had seen from him since he had initially left to find the moonshiners. Was that only a week ago? It seemed like so much longer...

"Good. I'll go see if I can find you a new dress to put on while yours dries." He said, leaving again. Now that she was alone, Christy wondered about the others who had been in Neil's cabin. Two were dead, but there had been the last two, Gus and Sonny. And then there was Uncle Bogg and Jeb Spenser. She listened intently, but didn't hear any sounds coming from the main room. Neil had closed the door on the times he left and entered, but still, she thought she should be able to hear something if they were still there. Maybe they had left, maybe Jeb and Bogg had taken them to El Pano, and the two wouldn't bother Cutter Gap anymore. That, at least, was her hope.

Neil came back in the room holding a beautiful brown silk dress that looked like it had been custom made for her. Underneath it were so fragile undergarments. She suspected it had been Margaret's, and though she blushed slightly at seeing the under things, accepted it gratefully. Neil laid it on the bed at her feet and turned to leave again so she could undress privately. Christy saw him leaving and felt like she should say something to comfort him.

"Neil" she called softly. The tall man stopped and turned to look at her. He looked as though he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and it hurt her so much to see him like this. She smiled at him sweetly.

"I missed you, and I'm glad we're together again." A smile started on his face and lit up his eyes brilliantly. He seemed to her like a man relieved of an enormous burden, casting it aside and finally able to stand up straight. He breathed in deeply, his contagious smile spreading to Christy's face too.

"Let me know when you're dressed again." He said, then turned around again and, reluctantly it seemed, left the room. After the door had closed, Christy pulled her old dress off as quickly as she could. It wasn't easy because it had dried in several places and was quiet stiff, but after some pulling and tugging, she managed to get it off. Next she used the bucket and rag he had left to wash her arms, neck and face, running the rag carefully over her face to avoid any pain.

When she was reasonably washed and dressed again, she crossed over to the bedroom door and opened it quietly. There in the cabin other than Neil. She watched him for awhile, relishing in the joy and comfort that it gave her. He was sitting next to the fire, leaned back in a oversized rocking chair, quietly rocking and smoking a pipe. This was a new pipe, she realized, and not the one he had broke that day, but it seemed to serve him well. The sight of him like that looked so peaceful that she didn't want to disturb him, but as if sensing her presence he turned and looked at her. Standing up and coming over to her in four long strides he first smiled brightly, then looked her over with a doctor's eye.

"Are you okay?" He asked. She looked up at his eyes, noting that he was on the edge of tears, and nodded meekly. She smiled shyly, then leaned into his embrace. He held her close to him and with one hand, gently stroked her hair.

"I'm so glad you're back." She said truthfully.

"Christy, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left... this was all my fault." His Scottish accent had gotten deeper, the way it always did when something was bothering him. Christy pushed away from him gently and looked up at him. Tears were clouding her blue eyes as they sought his. She looked into his eyes with concern and love all wrapped into one.

"No, it wasn't Neil. You couldn't have known... I should have been more careful, I should have stayed at the mission like Ida told me..." her voice trailed off as a new thought struck her.

"Ida! Does she know I'm safe? I should go tell her, I..." Neil smiled at her gently and put a finger to her lips.

"Shhh... it's alright, Ida already knows. Bob and Rob Allen showed up with some other men shortly after I brought you back here, apparently having heard the gunshots and suspecting what was happening. Rob Allen went to tell Ida where you were." He said. She leaned back into him and embraced him in a hug.

"Neil?" She began, but again he interrupted, leading her instead to the rocking chair by the fire.

"You must be hungry" He offered. Christy tried hard not to show her enthusiasm when he mentioned food, but couldn't quite manage it. She nodded eagerly.

"Yes please." She replied. Turning swiftly to the kitchen, Neil returned within moments with a plate of cheese and soft bread with a little honey on it.

"It's not much, I don't want to upset your system any more than it already is. I'll give you more after that's settled, if you want it. You look like you haven't eaten in days." He said, trying to sound happy, but she saw the pain in his face. She smiled at him and accepted the plate, but she did not have the strength to hold it and, if Neil had not caught the plate with his big steady hands, it would have toppled to the floor. She was slightly shaking still and he looked up at her with fresh concern.

"I'm, I'm sorry..." she began, tears threatening to spill, but Neil shook his head gently and helped her set the plate down beside her. Instead of letting her hands go, however, he held both of them out in front of her and wrapped his hands around them. He looked at her like she were the most beautiful princess in the whole world, and she knew he meant it. Tears of gratitude that had been crowding dangerously close earlier now slipped down her cheeks effortlessly, and she glanced down at his hands, still holding hers... strong, muscular hands and long, beautifully masculine fingers wrapped around hers tenderly, with the utmost care and consideration. She followed the hands upwards with her eyes, up his strong, powerful arms that she loved so much, still upwards to his strong chin and beautiful face. She finally met his eyes and, with tears nearly blurring her vision, she smiled at him faintly. He smiled back and let go of one of her hands, reaching up to gently brush her wet cheek with the backs of his curled fingers. Though she was starved to death, and this simple food tasted absolutely delicious today, the thing Christy wanted to do more than anything right now was sit next to him and let him hold her, allowing his presence and his words to comfort her. She still could not shake off the effects of her nightmare capture, and the images of those two dead men in the cabin. Some of the men had apparently taken the body's out and cleaned up any mess, but to Christy those events still seemed real. She could feel the cold metal circle of the barrel being pressed to her temple... could see Neil's horrified expression... could feel George pulling her towards the door and could remember thinking, "this is it". It was all she could do to keep from crying as she picked at her food.

Pulling up a chair in front of her, he sat on it backwards, much the same way he had done on the day of Ruby Mae's wedding. His eyes looked thoughtful as he sat, watching her eat, or attempt to eat, for him.

"What happened Christy? Zady told Jeb that she saw you taken, and was terrified with how they treated you." She nodded, unable to meet his gaze. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Neil's eyes grow moist.

"Would it help if you talked about it?" She thought for a moment, then gently shook her head.

"I'm a doctor and I want to help, but I can't do that unless I know what happened. Please tell me lass, I can help you." He said tenderly. This time Christy did look up into his eyes. The incredibly handsome eyes that, though she would have never admitted it at first, had captured her from day one. Now as she looked she saw love and compassion, and a true desire to help. She smiled faintly and looked away.

"I got to the Spensers, and realized something was wrong. No one had come out to meet me like they normally do..."

By the time she was done telling her tale, evening shadows had spread over everything. At some point during the story, Christy had broke down and started crying. Neil had gently picked her up and held her like a small child. His embrace was one of friendship, in wanting to help her feel better, and she cherished it. Amidst tears and pauses, she had struggled through the entire tale, and now as she laid in his arms, eyes closed and hand wrapped firmly around his, she felt incredibly drowsy.

"We need to get you back to the mission." Neil said quietly. Gently moving out from under her, Neil stood up and helped her up. She felt a little light headed, which as usual wasn't lost on the doctor. He steadied her with his arms and turned her to face him.

"Are you sure your alright?" He asked her, studying her intently. She blushed slightly and smiled.

"I'm fine." She replied, hoping that if she composed herself he would believe it. But apparently he didn't. He walked outside with her and untied Charlie from the tree. Swinging himself up in the saddle, he offered a hand to Christy.

"You need your sleep doctor, I'll be -"

"Don't lie Miss Huddleston, it's not becoming a woman of your character." He teased, but his eyes still held concern. Christy wanted to say something equally witty to him but decided against it. Pure exhaustion made her cringe at the thought of walking anymore. Besides, she admitted, she would love to ride with Neil. She had missed him so much while he was gone, and then even more so while she was captured, and he was finally back with her. Smiling and taking his hand, as soon as she got into the saddle she leaned back into his arms. Soon she was rocking forward and backward in perfect harmony with the rhythm of Charlie's carefree gait, and she closed her eyes.

"Christy. Christy, lass." Neil said softly. Christy opened her eyes. An amused look was on Neil's face as he held her on the saddle. They were now in front of the mission.

"We're here." He said gently. She sat up quickly, looking around and seeing Ida on the porch watching her. She must have fallen asleep on the ride over from Neil's.

Neil, ever the gentleman, dismounted Charlie and held out a hand for Christy. Slipping her tiny hand in his, she put a foot in the saddle and stepped down.

"Neil, my clothes... I forgot..." But before she could finish he put a finger to her lips.

"I'll bring them by when I come to check on you tomorrow, keep these until then." And leaning down, he kissed her gently on the lips. Christy was a little self-conscious until she noticed that Ida was no longer on the porch steps. She had gone inside apparently shortly after they arrived, and so Christy found herself very much enjoying his kiss. She didn't want him to leave her, it was so soon after the events of

After saying goodbye with the promise of returning tomorrow, Neil got back into the saddle and started home. Christy stayed on the porch, watching him leave and thanking God for such a wonderful gift.

_The dark night seemed to be taunting her, constantly reminding her of her fear and playing with it. Sounds and shapes, both frightening and awful, loomed out above her in the night. She was walking down to the river by Neil's cabin, some strange desire to find something that was hidden there burned within her. She was in her nightgown, which didn't seem odd at all, and her small feet as she sped over the familiar path made absolutely no noise. _

_She reached the rivers edge, and for a moment she allowed herself to get lost in its beauty and calm. The rushing water strangely reminded her of something, but she couldn't put a finger on it. _

_A snap of twigs behind her alerted her to someone else's presence. She whirled around quickly to see the end of a pistol looking right at her. She tried screaming but was unable to find her voice, and with horror she watched as the owner pulled the trigger. _

She sat bolt-right up in her bed, panting and looking around quickly. _It's alright, I'm home. _She thought as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was safe now, but what a horrible dream! It had all felt so real...

The sun was beginning to rise up over the distant mountains and so, reluctantly, Christy got ready for the new day. School had been canceled today because Neil wanted her to get more rest. He still hadn't thought she had overcome this.

_Well, maybe I haven't... _she thought sadly, sitting on the edge of her bed and brushing out her hair. _Lord please help me get over this... it's okay now, I'm home. I'm safe. _But the living nightmare she had witnessed yesterday when she saw Red's bloodied and mangled body crumpled into a heap of flesh and bone underneath the window, well, it was still too fresh in her mind's eye. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Christy stood up from the bed to go downstairs. But... she was dizzy! Blackness crossed before her eyes for a moment, and she felt lightheaded. She steadied herself, reasoning she had just stood up too fast, and slipped on her slippers before going downstairs.

The room was still dark and silent as she crept down the old stairs, avoiding certain boards that she knew instinctively would creak. The old house, for once, wasn't cold. Today would be one of those final rare days of warmth before the winter spell.

Next she went into the kitchen to find something to eat. Truthfully, she felt hungrier than she'd ever felt before, almost like she'd eat anything that was placed before her. She settled on frying some eggs and began.

"Christy?" It was Ida's voice behind her. Christy whirled around almost guiltily, like a child whose been caught doing something wrong.

"I expected you to be in bed still." She said. Her voice was soft as she stepped forward into the kitchen. Christy turned back to her work, and smiled sheepishly.

"I guess I couldn't sleep." She said, trying to hide the nightmare from Ida. The older woman came forward and, to Christy's amazement, gave her a genuine, heartfelt smile. Christy smiled in return, and reached for an egg, but Ida beat her to it. She took the egg gently and handed it to Christy, fixing her with a gentle, yet firm, gaze.

"Dr. MacNeill doesn't want you doing too much today." She said softly. Christy looked at her for a moment. It was like she were talking to another Ida. Not haughty, no fake smiles, no moodiness. In its place was a softer, more gentle woman.

"Thank you" Christy said. Ida just nodded briefly and took down her apron, tying it around herself for the day's chores.

Miss Alice had still not returned from her trip, but Christy was not worried. The last time she went she had been gone for three weeks, so no one was concerned with her absence, but as the young schoolteacher went through her day, she realized that she missed the woman.


	9. Sapphire Skies

Chapter Nine

Sapphire Skies

Neil came, true to his word, at about noon. He checked up on Christy's injuries, asked her some general medical questions, and then finally just talked. She didn't tell him about the dizziness that morning, partly because she didn't think it was a problem and partly because she didn't want a doctor today. Today she just wanted Neil... the way he was when they were fishing together. Christy invited him to stay for supper and Ida served up another dish without so much as a frown.

After supper Christy followed him outside to the porch to see him off, but he had other ideas. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips and pulled away. There was a boyish grin on his face when he looked into her face, she saw a twinkling in his eyes.

"It's a beautiful day lass." He commented casually. He lifted one of his eyebrows in a questioning glance.

"Care for a ride?" He asked her. Smiling, Christy nodded. She very much wanted to go with him.

"Let me tell Ida so she won't worry." She said, but Neil placed a hand on her shoulder gently. She was surprised and turned around to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"It's okay, she already knows." He said, and turned towards the steps to get Charlie. He untied the horse and brought him over to the porch steps. Looking up at her, he couldn't help but smile. There was an unusual sparkle in his eyes that she couldn't quite interpret.

"Coming?" He asked.

"Yes" she replied, and then once again she reached up to grab his firm hand. She felt safe with him, felt as though she could take on the world, as long as he was with her. It felt so good to be with him that she missed him when they were apart.

"Where are we going?" She asked, then suddenly clamped her mouth shut. But it was too late, he had heard her question. Now, she knew, would come the teasing. He loved making her curious and whenever he knew she was wondering about something, he'd often torment her by not telling her. It made him laugh and, in spite of herself, Christy too. Today though, just maybe, he'd tell her.

"You'll just have to see." Came his reply. She let her shoulders droop. Today would be no different than any of the others. She flattened her eyebrows and stuck out her lower lip in a fake pout. Truthfully she enjoyed his teasing just as much as he did - but of course, she would never let him know that for fear that he might stop. And Neil, who couldn't exactly see her expression now but knew from experience what she was doing, started laughing. It was the deep, baritone laugh that Christy absolutely adored, and it was contagious. She leaned her back against his flannel covered chest and felt the ripples of laughter shaking his chest behind her. Pretty soon she found herself smiling. But she feigned hurt.

"Doctor, you're suppose to help people... I don't see how making me insane with curiosity is helpful." She said. He slowly was able to stop laughing.

"It's just so very amusing, Miss Huddleston, that I cannot stop." He replied. She smiled, and closed her eyes briefly, allowing the sun to warm her face and neck. The way he used "Miss Huddleston" when he was teasing her was quite endearing. She opened her eyes again and casually glanced around her, and realized that she no longer knew where they were.

"Where _are _we?" She asked Neil, looking up at him quizzically, this time, it would seem, demanding an answer. He looked down at her and sighed contentedly.

"Somewhere you've never been before, I'm taking you to a special place." He replied mischievously, knowing that his answer wouldn't quite satisfy her.

"Well" she said a moment later, catching on to what he was doing, "how much further?"

In reality she wasn't too anxious to get there, enjoying the mid afternoon ride with Neil was so much fun she didn't want it to end. They talked about many things, including their plans for Cutter Gap. Christy, as usual, was filled with ideas for adult classes, child education, health and nutrition classes, etc. Neil listened to her talk about each enthusiastically, teasing her periodically that she needed to pause and breathe, but all the while enjoying her thoughts. For the entire ride there she had almost completely forgot about the past several days venture and was caught up in her plans for the schoolchildren.

Suddenly Neil stopped Charlie, and dismounted. Christy looked at him quizzically until he explained that they'd have to walk from here. She groaned, still feeling her forced march in her legs and thighs, but Neil assured her it wasn't far. Pushing back an overhanging oak limb, he allowed her to enter first and she gasped. The protection of the mature oaks overhead had given this little place the sacred look of a sanctuary. A thick, luxurious carpet of the greenest moss she had ever seen in winter grew, undisturbed, until it reached the edge of a small creek. Here the creek was no more than two feet wide and clear enough to be able to count the little round pebbles on the bottom. A giant, almost enchanted-looking tree served as the perfect support for aching backs, and moss covered stones could be used as either tables or supports for a travelers weary feet.

"Neil, it's beautiful." She said, taking in all of this with a sweep of her eyes. It reminded her of some of the magical kingdoms she had visited recently in the newest shipment of books her father had sent. Here, she expected to see King Arthur kneeling as a youngster whilst he was knighted by a distinguished looking old man with a long sword laid across Arthur's right shoulder.

"Yes." Neil replied softly, shaking her out of her reverie. Suddenly he was quiet, staring out into the surrounding woods with a faraway look in his eyes that Christy couldn't quite interpret.

"Want to let me in on your secret?" She asked. He smiled, but did not look at her right away. Finally he met her eyes.

"I was thinking about the day I found out that you had been kidnapped." He said suddenly. Christy grew quiet, unsure of how to respond.

"When I left the mission that day, I went from cabin to cabin, rallying the other men to help me. Pretty much everyone responded well. We rode and walked all day, searching for them. Of course, we didn't see anything, but we kept going. We scored the entire mountainside looking for them, and at one time a few shots were exchanged, but nothing else. The morning you were captured we finally decided to give it up and started home. Everyone else went to their homes but I went to the mission to see you." He paused. Christy's eyes grew moist when she thought of just how deeply Neil really loved her. With David it was all different. He loved the physical attraction and yes, he did admire her character to a certain extent. But his love was mostly the childish sort of "here and gone again" love. Neil's was so much better than David and his fickle moods.

"I thought... I thought I might never see you again, might never again get the chance to tell you how much I love you." He said gently. Christy hadn't realized that she'd been crying until she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She shivered against his words... _thought I'd never see you again, I came so close to death or worse, and yet God spared me. _A faint smile formed on her lips as she thought of how much she was loved.

"When we kept searching for you, I knew you couldn't be dead. I knew I'd never be able to live normally again if something... awful had happened to you. When I got to my cabin and heard your voice, I figured if we left you with them too long, they might kill you. Bogg and Jeb offered to sneak around the back door while I distracted them, because I had already guessed it was me they wanted."

"Neil" she began, "why did they want you?" He took his time about answering. His brows furrowed together in unmasked concern and confusion.

"I don't know. Maybe they mistook me for someone else." He replied gently, though his eyes remained serious. This confused her a little but apparently the subject was closed... for now. Then he turned to face her fully. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as he looked at her with such an intense look of love on his face... one that she had never seen before.

"I realized then, as I was searching for you, that I couldn't live without you." He said, pausing to let the reality of his words sink into Christy's brain. _Does he mean...? _She thought, unable to breathe. The gurgling noise of the creek seemed to diminish as she waited, in hopeful anticipation, for what was coming next.

"I need you by my side Christy, I want you there. I was a fool for not asking sooner. I want to see little children running around the house with their mother's big expressive blue eyes. I want to grow old together. I would be honored for you to be my wife... marry me, Christy." He paused, and now it was his turn to wait in nervous hopefulness. But he didn't have to wait long... what a speech! And it had been so heartfelt! Christy jumped into his arms and, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, said "Yes, yes, yes!" and hugged her arms around his neck, laying her cheek on his. Neil smiled brilliantly for a moment, and opened himself up to her embrace, thrilling in the feel of her in his arms... of the delicate scent of lavender that seemed to accompany her wherever she went. She was so petite, and yet with such a large heart for God and for those around her. How good it felt to ask her, and how his heart had leapt at her response! After all those years of fighting God, and being angry with him for taking away his wife and their son... God had first given him forgiveness for his sins, and even given him Christy, a woman he absolutely loved with all of his being, one that he would never leave or forsake!

Christy pulled back from his arms and looked into his face, smiling happily. She reached one hand up and gently, almost timidly, brushed that stubborn curl from his face, much like she had done that night down by the river, when she and he had met under the full moon. The expression on both of their faces was the same, and soon she let her hand slip gently down to his cheek, and stroked it softly.

"I love you, and it is _I_ who will be honored." She said softly, barely above a whisper. He looked into her eyes and for the first time she could not see the hurt he carried over the death of his wife and son. God was able to mend everything, and Neil was no exception. He had been healed.

Author's Note: This chapter is shorter, yes, but I hope the quality has not suffered. Thank you guys for the awesome reviews... they're so inspiring! I hope I don't let you guys down... and as always, let me know if you find anything wrong.


	10. Thankful

Chapter 10

Thankful

After Neil's proposal, things seemed to pass in a whirlwind. Miss Alice returned from her trip on September 27th, in good health and very happy. She had personally witnessed two young students come to Christ, she told everyone, and it had been a wonderful experience. Neil and Christy had set their wedding for December 18th, and after telling everyone at the mission, they were all thrilled and could hardly wait for the day to arrive. Neil had used the telephone at the mission to make the customary call to Christy's father, who had received the news well and was immensely pleased that his daughter was marrying the doctor who had saved his life. Christy's mother, of course, wanted the wedding to be in Asheville, arguing that it was high time she left that "awful place" for at least a month. But Christy, having plenty of Irish blood flowing through her veins, had held out stubbornly and refused to be married anywhere but Cutter Gap, her home. Neil, after learning what had happened, just laughed. That was his Christy.

Whenever Neil and Christy had time to themselves, they would often go for a walk, hand in hand, talking about anything and everything, or else they would go to Neil's cabin where the good doctor would teach Christy more about medicine. After the typhoid epidemic that had been so devastating to the Cove, and after she officially refused David's proposal, Christy decided to ask Neil to teach her how to be a nurse herself. Neil had been immediately willing, and before long it became a regular weekly habit of hers to go to his cabin once or twice a week and become a student of medicine. Under the wise and patient tutelage of Dr. MacNeill, Christy had caught on fast, and her stubborn determination had helped her pursue it. Miss Alice, for her part, was strongly supportive of the idea, saying that if she were ever away and Neil should need a trained nurse it would be better for Christy to be able to help.

The days continued to get colder, forcing the reluctant schoolteacher and her pupils to close off the beauties of nature and huddle around the old pot-bellied stove. On some days, when the temperature was too cold for even the children's liking, the group would have recess inside. This is where Christy brought up the word games. She would have the class sit in a circle and she would begin by saying a word - either a name of a country, or object, or historical person. Then they would go counterclockwise and each child, upon his or her turn, would have to say a word that began with the ending letter of the previous word, and so on. If a child could not come up with a word fast enough, he or she would "lose" and have to sit quietly while watching the rest of the game. Winners would have the privilege of sharing something that they found special with the rest of the class. It was always great fun and whenever they played the game Christy was certain that Miss Alice and Miss Ida could hear their laughter all the way to the mission.

The day before Thanksgiving found Christy, Miss Alice, Opal, Ida, and Ruby Mae all hard at work in the little kitchen at the mission. Neil, Bogg, Jeb and Will Beck had all gathered on the front porch to sit and visit.

"I would suggest more flour" Miss Alice said, in response to Ruby Mae's frustrated glance.

"Guess I ain't got this here dough figgered out, it's a plumb mess I made." The young woman's face looked downcast, but it was hard for Christy to keep from laughing at the sight she made. Eight months pregnant, sweaty and covered in flour, Ruby Mae was standing in the kitchen holding a rolling pin with pale, sticky dough covering it. Miss Alice came to her rescue by smiling gently and reaching for the rolling pin.

"Let me see" and she scraped off the dough into a heap on the counter. Christy watched from the corner of her eye as she herself mashed sweet potatoes for sweet potato pies. She smiled as she remembered Neil's reaction to the last meal she had made him.

"Christy lass, you're an incredible cook." And she knew he had meant it.

The people of Cutter Gap had been blessed this year with a bountiful harvest, and families from all over gathered once again at the mission to thank God for their health and to enjoy good fellowship. Christy couldn't remember the last time she had seen so much food in Cutter Gap. There were all sorts of pies, including sweet potato, which she and Neil agreed was their personal favorite. There was roasted pig and canned fruits, jams, and jellies, vegetables and plenty of other baked goods.

There were also her friends, all gathering to give thanks and have a good time, celebrating another year of life. Cutter Gap was definitely a hard place at times, Christy thought, but it also had its fun side.

David had still not come back from his trip in Boston, and Christy was beginning to wonder if she had seen the last of him. At least he hadn't left boiling mad at her, and she thought she might have been able to lessen some of the hurt as well, but she still wished she could see if he was alright. The thought saddened her and she frowned slightly.

She didn't have too much time to ponder this though, as she carried food and dishes outside to the long makeshift table. It was really several sawhorses put side by side with wooden planks laid on them. Christy had rummaged through Ida's linen closet and produced enough material to cover the boards and make the "tables" look pretty.

On her last trip out to the tables with an armload of food, she couldn't help but stop and drink in the view of the mountains. Spring, summer, fall and winter... every season dressed the mountains and trees differently, and they were all beautiful, but it was autumn, right before the leaves dropped for winter, when they were still at their brightest, that she found the most lovely. Then the mountain would look like a beautiful old patchwork quilt with its yellows, burgundies, and even the occasional pink, if there happened to be a poison sumac on the mountainside. It made her feel like taking off on a walk to enjoy the fresh clean air, and she almost thought about doing so before catching and reprimanding herself. Not today. The mountains would have to wait.

A cool breeze picked up and tugged at the strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun. Reaching up absently, she tucked one of the strands back behind her ear and breathed in deeply. It was this time of year that she liked walking the woodland trails in best. There would be squirrels running here and there across her path as they scurried to collect as many acorns as they could before the frost. The creeks would be icy cold, and - depending on the weather - might even have unbelievably thin layers of prismatic ice along the edges, where the rushing water was calmer and could not keep it from forming. The weather would drive her on, cold clean air racing through her lungs with every breath, giving her the energy to climb the side of the mountain, like she had done with Fairlight that day...

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" A strong voice from behind her asked. She smiled, not needing to turn around to know who it was. Her heart skipped a beat and she blushed crimson as she heard the beautiful accent. But curiosity got the better of her, and she arched a slender eyebrow and looked back at him.

"'She', doctor?" He grinned like a little boy, and for a moment she could almost see Creed Allen's mischievous, freckled face on Dr. MacNeill's shoulders.

"Of course, Miss Huddleston." He said, walking up behind her and slipping a hand in hers. She found him irresistibly charming.

"And how is my fiancée doing?" He asked lightly. She leaned back onto his chest and sighed contentedly.

"I've never been happier. I can't wait until we're married." She replied, staring off into the beautiful multi-colored folds. He grinned happily at her confession.

"It's like a patchwork quilt spread out over the mountains, molding perfectly with the ridges and dips of the mountain peaks." She smiled happily. Neil smiled too, slightly amused at the artistic, poetic language she had used in describing it. They were beautiful, he had always thought that, even from his earliest childhood.

"Aye, that it is." He replied softly, squeezing her hand gently before letting go.

"We should probably be getting on down to the others. Besides, after seeing all that food you cooked, I'm getting mighty hungry." He said, winking at her and grinning. She grinned to, and blushed slightly as his eyes held hers for that brief moment before they went down to the feast. They walked down together hand in hand, and she knew in her heart that she had a lot to be thankful for. As she and Neil took their places by the table, she saw both Jeb and Bogg smiling at her, and she smiled back and nodded. She would forever be grateful for what they did for her.

This year Neil had the honor of saying the blessing over the food, and Christy, who had fallen in love with this courageous, confident country doctor, had never seen him more nervous. At one point, before beginning he looked down at her for encouragement. Smiling up at him, she nodded to show her support and, smiling back at her, he began.

_How nice it had been to hear his confession that day... _she thought, allowing herself to travel back to that fateful day last autumn...

_She felt awful, and even as she floated in and out of her delirium she had felt as though a herd of horses had trampled her. Every muscle in her body ached, her throat hurt terribly, she was incredibly thirsty and had a horrible head ache. Her stomach cramped terribly, and every time someone had pressed on it she could vaguely remember wincing or crying out in pain..._

_She was seeing Fairlight and all of those "young-uns" who had died earlier, and she knew that if she passed over to be with that woman and her children, that the pain would stop. She wanted it to stop, so badly. She had never hurt so much, and she was beginning to feel as though she wanted to die._

_But then, a voice called out her name. He told her that he loved her, and she could tell that he meant it. Then the voice prayed to God, begging forgiveness for his rebellion, asking the Father to spare Christy._

A light squeeze of her hand brought her back to the present. She looked down at the hand and followed it up to the face. Neil was smiling at her.

"Surely you have an appetite for all this" he grinned. She smiled back and nodded, reaching for her plate.

After the food there was plenty of dancing and good times. The families went back inside the mission to fellowship. Christy and Neil danced almost every single dance, even the ones Christy didn't know. She allowed Neil to guide her like he had at Ruby Mae's wedding, and everything turned out fine, with the exception of an occasional smashed toe of Neil's. Christy was almost surprised when, at the end of a particularly fast-paced dance, she wasn't out of breath or even breathing hard. It seemed her two years in Cutter Gap had done her a whirlwind of good, not just spiritually and emotionally, but physically as well. She had grown more muscular, and surprisingly leaner, if that were possible, as if all her baby fat had come off and in its place was lean, toned muscle. She had definitely gotten physically stronger, she thought, as she whirled around the room with her groom-to-be, laughing merrily.

She often looked up into his eyes, those stubborn blue eyes that could irritate her at times, but that were always compassionate and willing to help his people. Today, they were sparkling radiantly. She had admired him from day one but had not at first realized it... in fact at first she thought she didn't like him, and she remembered telling David so. But then as she had stopped criticizing situations that she really knew nothing about and started seeing Neil for who he was, well, it was then that the magic began.

Jeb was now playing a slow tune, a waltz, and Neil gracefully began. He danced the waltz so well that for a moment she could imagine him in a tuxedo, leading a beautifully fair young woman around the ballroom floor, her long silk gown following her slim figure elegantly. Slender feet were clothed in delicate slippers as she completed a box.

Christy shook her head to clear her thoughts, and nearly laughed at the image. No, she decided, Neil looked much more handsome in his rugged attire than he ever would in a tuxedo. She remembered their dance that day at his cabin, how it had ended in a shouting match. Guiltily she acknowledged how unfair she had been to do that to him, to play with his obvious affection for her just so that she could get what she wanted. It had been selfish, and Neil had made her see that.

As some couples exited the dance floor and others came on, Christy realized that the eyes of most of her schoolchildren were on herself and the doctor, with plenty of whispering and giggling going on. The girls were obviously enjoying the sight their teacher and beloved doctor made together, and the boys were grinning. And above all, Creed stood out in the crowd with his freckles and Tom Sawyer looks, shaking his head and looking as if he wasn't sure he liked the whole arrangement.

_Oh well_, she thought. _I'm in love and that's not a crime. _She allowed Neil to whirl her around the floor, both she and he graceful and refined, and as Neil stepped back to allow her to make a complete circle underneath his arm, several of the younger schoolchildren "oohed" and "awwed". The two kept in step flawlessly throughout the motion and everyone seemed dazzled. Her future husband brought her back in to his embrace and the two made a graceful half-turn.

Christy noticed Miss Alice watching both of them fondly, with misty eyes and a big smile. Oh Miss Alice, dear, sweet Alice. Christy loved the woman so much. She wondered if Alice knew how much.

After the waltz, Jeb started a lively, completely Scottish sounding tune that Christy had never heard before. All the ladies left the dance floor and only about a handful of men, Neil included, stayed. It was a lively jig that Neil picked up on instantly, feet tapping and stamping on the ground quickly and effortlessly as he held his hands on his hips. More than once he looked over at Christy, thoroughly amused at her initial surprise, as if thinking "Ha! Didn't know I could do this, did you?" As the jig went on, however, her surprise was replaced with awe and, the next time he met her eyes, she was laughing, blue eyes sparkling intently as she got caught up in the fun of the mountain jig. The lively tune Jeb had begun was now picked up by some others with more instruments, and the tune got louder. Reminding her of a mad frenzy, she listened and watched with delight as the fast paced music only seemed to inspire her fiancé further. She watched several of the men all dancing the same way and realized that this was one of the things she loved about these people. Their fine heritage, their Celtic customs and culture, all of this was still alive and well, living in the hearts of these people. Of course it wasn't all fun and dance, like now. She knew from some of her earliest experiences here that this culture that bred such enchantment in these people also bred things like the awful blood feuds and the liver-growed superstition. But it was the bad as well as the good, and all in all, watching her Neil and clapping along with the women folk, she found herself having much more fun than she ever would have in Asheville. Her behavior now would probably be frowned upon by the 'high class ladies' of the Asheville societies and socials, but she didn't care. They had never experienced life like this.

For standing there to the side of the floor, watching many of the men dance the Scottish and Irish jigs, Christy was again transported to another century... across the sea to the vivid green hills of Scotland where kilts and bagpipes, lords and ladies, clans and broad swords were all a part of everyday life. It was as if she, Christy Huddleston, was experiencing the historical figures she had so often read about.

That day she reserved all her dances for Neil. She would often blush throughout the day only to look up and find that Neil was watching her. He couldn't seem to get enough of her, and for this she was thankful.

The dancing ended too soon, and shortly thereafter families began leaving, with many hearty handshakes from the men and laughter going all around. Will Beck helped his pregnant wife onto their horse, and Ruby Mae, who still had the wonderful ability to talk unceasingly, took a long time in saying goodbye to the folks at the mission. Christy almost laughed as she saw Will's exasperated looks, but finally Ruby Mae seemed to take notice, and after smiling again and assuring them that they would "be seein' me right soon" the happy couple left, Will walking the animal and Ruby Mae riding.

"It's a good thing Will has that horse, though I do feel sorry for it." Christy said, smiling as she watched them leave.

"Aye, it won't be too much longer before they have a wee one running around and keeping Ruby Mae busy." Neil replied, looking down into Christy's eyes with a happy expression. She knew what was on his mind and instantly felt heat rising to her cheeks.

"Just think, less than a month and we'll be husband and wife." He said quietly, coming up behind her and wrapping his strong arms around her tiny waist.

"Mmmm" Christy replied happily, leaning back in his arms and sighing with pleasure.

"'Your people will be my people... Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.'" She quoted, smiling and looking very lovely to Neil at the moment.

"The Bible." It was more a statement than a question. For almost a year now he had grown steadily in his walk with the Lord, and he had read a lot of the Bible. Last Christmas, Christy had bought him a leather bound family Bible, small enough that he could keep in in his saddle bags as he traveled. It thrilled her heart to know that wherever he went, he had always taken that Bible with him.

"Aye." She said softly, picking up on his most-used response. She turned around in his arms and faced him, looking up into his beautiful face with a sincere look in her crystal blue eyes.

"Ruth's words to Naomi. And I mean it, Neil. These are now my people, and I will never leave you. Where you are buried, there I will be buried, too." She said softly, putting a hand gently on his heart.

"Forever" she said, and her voice had dropped to barely above a whisper. Neil looked at her with an intense look on his face that she knew meant he was contemplating on kissing her. He reached a gentle hand up brushed away the stray lock of hair from her forehead, then leaned in and sweetly kissed her on the lips. She wanted more, so she reached up and interlocked her arms behind his head, pulling him deeper into their kiss. When she finally let go, they both realized that, if they could, they would have been married that night.

**Author's Note: Anyone have a favorite chapter so far? Favorite part? Or even a least favorite part/chapter? Tell me what you think, and as always... thanks so much for the reviews! It means a lot. Thank you Christyfiction for your suggestions on plot... all I can say is, there's MANY more chapters filled with excitement, danger, and romance. Wait and see! :-)**

**And thank you Portia Louise for your comments on my characterization of Neil. I think, since he is a man, he should behave the way a man does, not the way the female writer wants him to.**

**THANKS GUYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!**


	11. Life in Cutter Gap

Chapter 11

Life in Cutter Gap

"As summer ends the green pigments in leaves..." Christy was interrupted by a small hand waiving in the air.

"Yes Burl" she asked, smiling.

"Um... what's 'pigments' Teacher?" He asked, little face twisted in thought. She smiled at the comical picture he made.

How she loved the children! Yes, she was able to teach them about George Washington and Thomas Edison and Beethoven and pigments, but what a lot she had learned from them. She had learned how to give to someone unselfishly, she had learned how to love like a child loves. And she had learned how to trust like a child trusts.

"That's a good question, does anyone know what pigments are?" She asked, surveying the room. Hesitantly, Zady Spensers hand shot up.

"Yes Zady?"

"Ain't pigments sorta like drops o' color?" She asked. Christy paused and then nodded her head,

"Well, sort of. It's a substance that produces a certain color. For instance, if I tell you that leaf has dominantly yellow pigment, then I'm saying that most of the pigment, or color, in that leaf is yellow." Zady thought for a moment, then nodded her head.

"So, when summer ends, the green pigment, which we know as...?"

"Chlorophyll" Orter O'Teale answered proudly.

"Yes, chlorophyll, deteriorates, or goes away, giving the other pigments in the leaves a chance to shine more clearly. Carotenoids, which as you'll remember from Dr. MacNeill's lessons is the pigment that makes carrots yellow, is also present in leaves, though with so much chlorophyll is usually doesn't get a chance to show up so well. But..." And here she walked back to her desk and pulled out a bright yellow fall leaf.

"When the chlorophyll leaves the leaf at the end of summer, carotenoid shows up, in the case of the oak and elm trees it shows up quite a bit, and produces this beautiful yellow color. The same thing happens with all the trees, which is why we get these lovely fall shades of pink and burgundy and yellow." She finished. She noticed some of the older girls giggling among themselves in the back row.

"What is so funny?" She asked, though she thought she knew the answer. Ever since mentioning Neil, these girls had started whispering.

"Zady, Clara... would one of you like to explain to me what's going on?" Zady and Clara looked at each other, then Clara spoke up slyly.

"Can you tell us about marriage?" She asked. The room instantly became giggles and chuckles, and Christy found herself blushing.

"That's not the subject Clara. We were talking about leaves." And with that things seemed to quiet down. But as Christy turned to the chalkboard, a crimson stain spread across her cheeks.

"Now children, I've brought some fall leaves and I want you to identify them for me. What's this one?" And she held up a red, slender pear-shaped leaf. Hands immediately shot up all over the classroom. She pointed to Creed.

"Yes, Creed Allen?" She asked.

"Why shucks, Teacher. Anybody knows that thar be dogwood." He answered with that boyish mischievousness in his eyes. Christy smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yes, it is."

She had been teaching the children nature as well, hoping they would develop a deep appreciation for the beauty of their mountains and want to preserve it. So far, her strategy had paid off. The children were more enthusiastic about the changing seasons and plants, flowers, and animals than ever before.

"Alright everyone, recess!" She announced, waiting for the typical reaction. She loved saying those words, because she loved to watch the children grow so animated and boisterous. As soon as they were all out in front of the schoolhouse Christy went to work on some papers at her desk. She loved teaching them so much! She was so glad that she would be able to continue.

"I've seen that smile on your face before, Miss Huddleston. Care to let me in on your secret?" She looked up to see Neil standing in the doorway, smiling at her fondly.

"You know, I think I might miss hearing you call me 'Miss Huddleston'" she said, blushing slightly. She looked up at him from her desk and took in the picture he made. Ruffled red hair, intelligent, totally handsome blue eyes the color of an autumn sky, and a tall, purely masculine frame. And such gentle hands, the hands that saved lives. Soon this man would be hers... she felt heat rising up into her cheeks at the thought.

"Did you just get in?" She asked, studying his rumpled clothes.

"Aye, a family farther down the ridge took sick with influenza, and they had no relatives nearby to help them. A friend came by one day and found them all in bed. He rode over here and reached me this morning." He was smiling broadly, coming up closer to her.

"What's put you in such a good mood, with those people sick?" She asked curiously. He grinned at her.

"I had a medical call not too long ago from the Beck cabin." He began. Christy's breath caught in her throat. He nodded to her unspoken question.

"Aye, a strong young lad. He had the lungs to prove his strength, too." He watched her eyes sparkle with delight. He loved seeing her excited.

"Oh, Neil! How wonderful! She told me yesterday she was feeling tired and last time Miss Alice had checked on her she had said her time was near, but we didn't know this near! How is Ruby Mae? How's Will taking it? What did they name..." Neil seemed amused by her long list of questions, and he made no attempt in hiding it.

"Maybe you should ask them these questions yourself. Care for a little walk?" He asked her, straightening up and offering her an arm. She laughed at his mock seriousness.

"Care to join me for an evening stroll, madam?" He asked regally. She stifled a chuckle and straightened up herself, carrying herself proudly and gracefully.

"I think you do a better job of it than I, lass." Neil said, finally laughing out loud. Christy started smiling.

"I've just had a lot of recent practice." She replied. They stepped out of the schoolhouse, now simply hand in hand, into the bright sunlight. Christy shielded her eyes with one hand and looked out over the mountains.

"It's so gorgeous Neil. And to think, it's going to be our home soon." Her eyes grew fond as she thought of being Neil's wife. He looked over at his fiancée, not wanting to disturb her thoughts. She looked so peaceful and serene, and he would do anything to get their wedding over with right now, so he could scoop her up in his arms and truly have her as a wife without any shame. But he knew he would have to wait, and he did so patiently, realizing that God's blessing on his marriage was the only way it would survive, no matter how much he and Christy loved each other.

"Let's go!" She said, tugging at his sleeve like a child. He laughed and shook his head, thoroughly enjoying this moment, as he did all moments, with the love of his life. She smiled at him and together they started down the path.

"Oh Miz Christy, ain't he a wonder!" Ruby Mae had kept up a near constant stream of chatter ever since they arrived. Christy looked at the little baby she held in her arms and smiled. Yes, he was a wonder. Tiny little eyelids closed in sleep, eyelids so paper thin that you could see the tiny blue veins running through them. He had his momma's fair skin and his daddy's thick dark hair... such a head of hair for so little a babe! He was a plump nine pound ten ounces, and as Neil stated earlier, a powerful pair of lungs. Though now, thankfully, he was not wailing. He was sleeping soundly, tiny fists curled into tight, unyielding balls at either side of his body. It was an adorable picture and as Christy rocked Jonathan William Beck in the Beck's little rocking chair, stroking the back of his silky little head, she thought of having a child with Neil, and what it would feel like to be a parent. A smile crept to her face as she pictured her big, strong Neil holding a little infant that looked even smaller compared to his daddy. She imagined Neil rocking their son back and forth with the little one fitting snugly in the crook of his arms. The smile widened and she realized that more than anything she wanted to give Neil a child someday. He had already lost one once, but this would be a new beginning. A way to start over. Christy looked up and caught Neil looking at her, with a strangely tender look on his face, as if the same thoughts were running through his head. She thought she saw the doctor's eyes grow moist as he looked at her in the most gentle way she had ever seen. He smiled, slowly stood from his place by the fireplace, and walked over to her, resting his hands on the back of the rocker. Gradually Ruby Mae's chattering came back into play.

"... and so I was thinkin' that we might be able ta have a ceremony for all the babies of this hear Cove, and..." Christy's heart began beating faster as she felt Neil's arm reach around her. He reached for the baby's curled fist, and for a moment Christy could see him stop and hesitate, unsure if he should follow through or not. But he did, and as he laid one thumb on the baby's hand and stroked it, tears glimmered in her eyes. The baby's fist was so small compared to the doctor's strong hands that even Neil's thumb covered the tiny fist. He lingered for a moment, relishing the touch. He seemed to be thinking along the same thoughts Christy had earlier because he looked into her eyes for a moment and smiled. Another month, almost a month and a half, until their wedding day. Christy was sure she would burst with excitement before then...

Life smoothed out once again and for awhile there would be no bumps in the road. With each passing day Christy found herself thinking of their wedding, and wondering what it would be like to go home with Neil for that first time. She was a little nervous, but truthfully, she was more excited.

Neil often went to check on Ruby Mae and her baby, Henry, especially the first few weeks after the birth. Of course, Christy went as often as she could, using the time between the mission or Neil's cabin and the Beck cabin as a chance to spend more time with her fiancé. Everytime Neil handed her new surprises... once, he gave her a beautiful golden ring that had belonged to his grandmother and, in proper fashion, slipped it on to her wedding finger, saying that he had wanted to give it to her when he initially proposed but had had to find it first.

The days grew even colder, if that were possible. An early cold snap postponed school for nearly three days because the stiff winds and icy conditions made those at the mission fear for the children's safety. Already numerous trees had fallen in the storms, causing problems all over the Cove. These trees, mostly dead, had been content enough to stand in their place while everything was calm, but when a stiff wind picked up, they would fall wherever they pleased... sometimes on cabins. Jeb Spenser's cabin had been the first to suffer from this, though thankfully it had only been one side of the cabin that had smashed in. On days when the weather was good, and those were becoming scarce, the men of the Cove would get together and help the afflicted with their problems, while the mountain families, especially if they had any children, were always welcomed into the mission house. None of the parents agreed to "be beholdin'" to the mission staff but sometimes the mothers would quietly ask if their children could "get a good rest at the mission ta-night." Miss Ida soon began grumbling under her breath about the extra work to the other residents there, though Christy noticed that the older woman was always genuinely nice to the children, even when she did hate the extra work.

Miss Alice had had to cancel one of her trips to Raven Gap due to the inclement weather, and though she was disappointed initially, the woman quickly found enough work to keep her busy, running to and fro, gathering supplies for the men sometimes, or perhaps bringing a passel of cold, soaking wet children to the mission, carrying them on Goldie. Christy would often see them from the front porch and go running out to open up arms and take some of the shivering children from their temporary caretaker. She would take them inside and get them warm, dry clothes and feed them some of Miss Ida's chicken soup, of which there always seemed to be a full, simmering pot on the back of the old stove.

Christy often worried about Neil when he was gone, helping the latest victims clean up their damaged cabins and try to rebuild before winter's fury hit.

_This is only the beginning of winter, the edge of it. _She thought gloomily one day, glancing out the winter to see the sheets of hard, cold rain, beating unmercifully while the raging wind bent trees at their middles and blew leaves about in a wild frenzy.

Poor Neil, she thought. The last time she had seen him was two days ago, and he looked as though he hadn't slept in days.

_He's not taking care of himself. _She thought, then was struck with the irony of it all. Was that not what he usually accused _her_ of? _Well_, she thought stubbornly, he's _the one depriving his body of rest, not me._

The days wore on and school still did not resume. Reports of local flooding soon reached their ears from places all over the mountain, and soon everyone was praying hard that the rain would leave.

One night, after a particularly long and exhausting day, Christy sat down on her bed with her Bible in her lap. Miss Alice had just retired to her own cabin, Miss Ida and Christy both had made sure their young charges - twelve in all - were bedded down for the night and Christy was exhausted. She had not ached so, nor been so weary, since the Typhoid epidemic last year. Her arms and hands hurt from scrubbing clothes and floors. Her legs and chest ached from running and riding Buttons all over the mountain as she offered her assistance when she could. Her dress was still partially damp from where she had been caught in the rain coming back from lower gap but she did not feel like she had the energy left to change into her nightgown, and her head hurt from mental exhaustion.

_How does he do it? _She thought, even as she yawned. She thought of Neil, her knight in shining armor, and found herself, more than ever, admiring his fortitude. She realized that she was not the only one who found him to be a reliable and sturdy help. Nearly every man in the Cove respected and looked up to him greatly. _Well, _she thought, yawning again, this time her vision getting blurry as she tried to focus on the pages in front of her, _he does deserve that respect. He's such a wonderful man..._ She found her heart beating faster and warmth rising to her cheeks even as her eyes shut themselves. Remembering their latest farewell kiss on the mission steps before he had left that afternoon, she smiled fondly.

A low creaking in the ceiling overheard brought her eyes back open almost instantly. The constant rain they had been experiencing had made everyone a little worried, and noises such as the one she just heard were now enough to put anyone on the alert. Christy sat up in bed, and listened. Nothing.

She was about to drift to sleep when she heard it again, louder this time. She sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed, standing up and wondering if Ida had heard any of this. The wind died down momentarily and she was just about to open her bedroom door and tiptoe downstairs when glass shattering behind her followed by a loud creak, and the deafening smashing sound made her whirl around. A scream rose in her throat as she saw the heavy tree and branches coming towards her but she did not have a chance to let it loose. A sick, hollow sound that filled her ears and brain coupled with an explosion behind her eyes caused her to loose all focus, and slowly her world drifted to black.

**Author's Note: Kick- Scott, many thanks for your reminder. Sheesh, I've read Christy 9-10 times and I don't remember the detail about her being Scottish, not Irish... sorry guys! And to the rest of you, I love the reviews, it makes my writing worthwhile. :-)**

**Don't worry about this fic being over soon... I assure you, I've got a lot more chapters to post and then, a lot more to write. I'm not finishing this anytime soon, and when I do it won't be a cliff hanger ending, unlike this chapter (unless I decide to do a sequal).**

**So, keep reviewing and don't worry! I will keep posting! **


	12. Awakening

Chapter 12

Awakening

_She was cold. She stood alone on a precipice and, even though some voice kept telling her not to be afraid, she was. She looked down at the ground, literally hundreds of feet below her, and felt the same cold chill break out all over her body from the great height below her. She wanted to leave and yet something kept her rooted to this spot, at the very edge of the cliff. A strong wind blew up instantly and she found herself blown of the edge. She was falling now, weightless and terrified. She tried screaming but the wind whistling past her face as she hurtled to the ground made it impossible, every time she opened her mouth she nearly gagged on the air being blown into it. The ground was fast approaching and with fear and panic she covered her eyes... Mist swirled past her eyes._

_She was now in a quiet part of the Smokies. So quite, in fact, that she did not hear bird's sing nor deer walking. It was as if the whole forest were dead. She could not find anybody or anything familiar and, worse yet, she could not find her way out of this trap... now she was running, where to she did not know, she only knew she had to find a way out, had to escape and warn Neil. Warn him of what? It did not matter at the moment, she had to get to him, before it was too late._

_Miss Alice, where was she? Something terrible happened to her! She is gone and will be no more on this earth. It's too late..._

_She cried as she ran, now over a hill and back down, running through a swollen creek in her haste. Her dress got wet and muddy and slowed her down, but she kept going. The river... the shiny water reflecting peacefully all the joys of life. The beautiful, sparkling water that never stays still. _

_She was calm now, it was calming to be by the water's edge. The river where, under the moonlight she had met Neil and they had talked. Harmless talk, but fruitful none-the-less. Once again, fog and mist enveloped this peaceful scene._

_Fairlight? What was she doing here?_

_Something was wrong... she heard low moans and wailing come from that cabin, someone was hurt. She had to see who it was..._

"Mmmm" She let the sound escape her lips in barely a whisper. Something soft, and cool, probably a wet rag, she reasoned, was being gently rubbed across her forehead. She flinched suddenly, and the rubbing stopped immediately. That had hurt, badly. Who was doing what to her? Half of her was overtaken with curiosity and wanted to see who it was, but the other half of her, the more practical half, insisted that she was too tired...

She lay like this for a few moments, listening silently to the sounds of the room around her. She smelled clean lye soap and a light scent that she remembered from sometime in the past. The name wouldn't come to her at the moment, but she didn't care. She had too much too think about anyway. Clean... the place smelled clean. Like her old home back in Asheville. Even the mission house, with Ida's furious scrubbing, had always had a musty, slightly stale odor to it. All the cabins in the Cove... with the exception of Neil's, smelled badly of pig, unwashed and sweaty bodies, dirt and, around mealtimes, whatever was being cooked.

Now curiosity overwhelmed her desire for self perseverance, and she knew she had to see her surroundings. Opening her eyes slowly, she found herself lying on a bed in Miss Alice's cabin. She noticed the bright, cheery colors of the rugs and tapestries playing with the light that filtered in quietly through the window near the bed. Christy also noticed that the rain had let up some and was now nothing more than a drizzle. She was surprised that even now, through the sprinkling rain that stayed behind, the sun shone through. The light hurt her eyes, which were unusually sensitive at the moment, and so she turned her head away from it.

While the bed underneath her was comfortable and the atmosphere around her fairly enjoyable, she couldn't help but wonder why she was here. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember what had happened to her.

Ah yes... the crack, the thud and sudden jolt of mind and body, the intense pain in her head as if someone were splitting her head open, and then black. She must have been hit, that tree that was coming through the roof must have fallen on her.

"A nasty tumble" She looked up to see Miss Alice's kind, worried smile. The older woman had retrieved another rag, and now sat on the side of the bed, gently wiping it down Christy's neck, as if wiping something off. Suddenly Christy felt that something down her neck, and face, and knew it must be dried blood. Panic gripped her and she tried to sit up.

"The mission! The children! What..." But even as she shot up into a sitting position she felt the explosion of pain in her head and bit her lip, tears instantly coming to her eyes and sliding down her cheeks.

"Christy, sit." Miss Alice ordered softly. It was still an order, and had she not been in such pain Christy might have glanced at Miss Alice questioningly... it was not her way to be so rough.

"Thee will hurt thyself worse..." She heard the older woman abolish her rash decision, but it sounded like it came through a long tunnel. Christy wished she had not sat up, but the choice had been made and now... if she could only survive the consequences. She swallowed and begged her suddenly nauseous stomach not to react. It didn't, thankfully, and she relaxed against the pillow as the pain in her head slowly weakened. But she still felt dizzy, and began to panic.

_What have I done? _She thought, and another tear slipped from her eye.

"Shh... I am sorry for thee. But rest, Neil will be back in soon." Miss Alice said tenderly.

_Neil..._

Neil strode back towards Alice's cabin slowly, as if he were in great pain.

_A child... a tiny, defenseless child... _and Christy, he added, though she was, at least, still alive. Several of the children who had been housed at the mission, many of the Christy's school children, had slept in a room directly below Christy's that had been made into a bedroom for them. Six children were in that room, and only two had made it out alive. It was hard for Neil, who had dealt with death and pain for years now, to grasp. He loved the mountain people, and he had birthed many of these children. He had watched them grow and had often bandaged, fixed, and treated many a childhood ailment. Now there would be four more grave markers on the hillside, and four less children in Christy's school room. He swallowed hard as he opened knocked on Alice's door.

The Quaker woman opened it and looked at him sadly, studying his face for the news that she knew was coming. He began to speak but she discreetly shook her head and motioned with her eyes to her bedroom. Neil followed her glance and then came back to her face.

"Is she awake?"

"Yes." And with this confirmation Neil sighed in relief.

"I should check on her" He said quietly, and Alice backed away from the door, giving him entry without another word. He thought he caught a glimmer of tears in the woman's eyes as he made his way past.

He knocked on the door and waited for acknowledgement. The gentleman in him insisted on this, although the doctor and man in him wanted to make sure his patient, love, and fiancée was safe.

"Come in." A voice called, and he began breathing again. Her beautiful voice was all he needed to hear, and with one hand still holding his medical bag he used the other hand to push the heavy door open.

Christy had been cleaned up much by Alice, he thought, noting that she no longer had the dried blood trailing the entire right side of her face. The bandage wrapped around half of her face was not soaked in blood, which was a good sign. She looked to be in better health, though his fingers were itching to examine her, just to make sure...

"Breathe in deeply Christy" He said, holding the stethoscope up to her back. She was sitting up, albeit weakly, as he supported her with his arm and several pillows. He had checked her injury and changed the bandage, handing the discarded one to Alice who, always the nurse, had been standing at his side. She took it away, leaving Neil and Christy alone for a moment.

"You scared us all, how are you feeling?" Neil asked, studying her thoughtfully.

"My head hurts and the bright light hurts my eyes a little, but I'm fine." She replied, looking directly into his bold stare with one of her own.

"Neil, how is everyone else at the mission?" She asked, watching his reaction to her words closely. Neil did not answer right away, but took his time, suddenly becoming very organized in how he packed up his equipment. He looked at her, and love and compassion struggled with telling her the truth. She had a right to know, definitely. But the truth would hurt so badly...

"Ida's fine, as are most of the children." He said, and saw her eyes grow fearful.

"Most?" She managed, sounding like a thin squeak in the heavy air. He glanced up at her and felt heavy hearted. How was he going to do this?

_God, help me... _

"Mountie is injured, but not as serious as you. Creed was also trapped by the tree, but he has nothing worse than scratches..." He paused for what seemed like an eternity, uncertain of how to continue.

"Burl didn't make it." He said matter-of-factly, suddenly feeling exhausted. He looked up into Christy's horrified blue eyes and felt like he had been punched.

Burl didn't make it... Burl didn't make it. _Teacher, I cum ta swap howdies with ya..._

Burl didn't make it.

She couldn't think for the next few moments, other than repeating Neil's words to herself over, and over, and _over_ again.

She thought she should have been sobbing uncontrollably, but she was not. She was numb, she was deaf... she couldn't understand, didn't understand, what Neil had said. He seemed to realize this and gripped her hand softly. She looked down at his big, strong hand and realized that she was seeing it strangely, as if she had never noticed it before. His thumb, caressing her hand gently... the big, work worn thumb that helped save lives. Yes, he did, and he wouldn't let someone like Burl leave, not if he could help it.

She glanced up at Neil strangely. _I don't understand? _She wanted to ask, hoping she'd misheard him and was jumping to the wrong conclusions. But his eyes and her heart told her that she had not misunderstood anything. Her brain tried to take this in, suddenly clouded by mental images.

Those icy feet! She needed to get him shoes, she needed to get him warm. Christy swallowed hard, feeling the dull ache in the back of her throat.

_I cum to swap howdies with ya..._

_This is little Burl..._

Burl! That boy with the irresistibly charming cowlick in the front and his carrot orange hair behind. The big, measurlessly blue eyes that held such intelligence. She had high hopes for him in school. When this rain stopped and they could go back to school, she had chosen a book to give him...

Suddenly she noticed that she was seeing Neil through a blur. She had not realized she had been crying... over what? Burl wasn't gone... how could he be? She drew in a few ragged breathes, suddenly feeling as though her chest was hollow and sore.

"...I'm so sorry." Neil's voice came through. Neil. Her knight, her protector... her best friend and love. She knew, with some guilt, how much this pained him too, but she couldn't stop herself. She threw herself into his arms and shut her eyes against the outside world, ignoring the pain in her head.

It hurt so much greater in her heart.

The next day went by in perplexed numbness. She slept on and off most of the day, not really because she was tired but it was her only means of warding off the pain over recent news and it kept her from seeing Neil and Alice's hurt, compassionate, tender smiles.

Five days later, she was allowed out of bed. Neil had come over and given her a quick rundown on what she could and could not do with her newfound freedom. She heard him, but it was hard to stay focused. Ever since being told of Burl's death, she had found it harder and harder to keep her mind focused. The same numbness that had held her briefly after Fairlight's death now kept her once again, captive to its spells. It just still seemed unreal to her... Little Burl was such a young thing, with a head so full of promise.

"Do you understand?" Neil asked gently, sensing her pain. She looked up and saw eyes that matched her own, but at the moment she selfishly did not care. It could not be over, it would not be over. She would ask Neil to take her to see Burl and after examining him Neil would see that he was still alive, and all of them would be very happy and thankful that they had survived this storm.

Neil allowed her to lean on him for support as she slowly shuffled out of the room. She gradually got sturdier on her feet and as they went to the front door Miss Alice looked up, smiling kindly.

"How nice it is to see you walking again." She said, compassionate gray eyes watching. Christy tried to smile, but faltered somewhat and only managed a faint upturn of her lips.

"Can we go to the mission?" Christy asked, and Neil caught Miss Alice's worried "no" glance, but figured it would be best. Christy would have to face it sooner or later. Hesitantly, he looked down at her and saw the longing in her eyes as she looked back, as if to say, _I need to._

"Alright." He said finally, and she seemed relieved, though still sorrowful. She walked surely though, not as if she were reluctant but as if she needed to see things for herself, understood the danger now, and was facing it head on.

Christy blinked back tears as she saw the mission, or what had been the mission. The half of it that her bedroom was on had been crashed through from top to bottom, as if some giant bear had hit the roof and dragged his paw down to the bottom. She noticed the other side of the house was still standing, and she could now see inside where walls had once been, giving her the feeling of looking into her doll house when she was younger. She saw men all around the place, some with picks and shovels, some hauling off large pieces of wall and framing. She recognized all of them...

The Spensers, Bogg McHone and Isaac, the Allen men... she was surprised to see Bob Allen there, working solemnly alongside the others. He did not look up as she approached, but seemed vacant... like she was feeling. That too familiar ache in her throat that usually preceded tears came back, and she felt lightheaded.

"Let's get you back." Neil said.

"But..." she began to argue, but he interrupted.

"No, you had a pretty serious head wound. Come on." He began pulling her back towards Miss Alice's cabin.

"I don't want to, though." She persisted, pulling back from his touch slightly. He stopped then and looked at her, as if uncertain what to do.

"I want to visit Mary." She said, pleading to him with her eyes.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He began

"Has there been a funeral yet?" She asked calmly. So calmly, in fact, that Neil found himself speechless and looked at her with alarm, as though she might be getting sick or going mad.

"It was... three days ago. You were still so frail, I didn't want to..."

"Didn't want to what? He was my student, and the first one to ever talk to me! I should've been there for him!" She said, voice rising with each word. She looked at Neil angrily for a moment, noting his hurt expression. Her expression softened as she realized how much pain he was probably in too.

"I'm sorry, I just..." She began, before a wave of dizziness swept over her. Her knees buckled and she grabbed both of Neil's arms for support. He instantly grabbed her back, supporting her body with a concerned look in his eye.

"Easy... we need to get you back." He said gently, holding onto her steadily.

"I'm fine, I just..."

"Don't argue" He snapped. He seemed irritated... but she did not get the impression it was at her. Was he blaming himself for her injury? She silently chastised herself for being so weak right now. If her head would just stop hurting...

"Everything alright?" The couple looked up to see Jeb Spenser looking at Christy with some concern.

"No, Neil was just taking me back to Miss Alice's cabin, is all." She smiled more happily than she felt, and of course Jeb did not seem convinced that she was fine. But he knew Neil would take care of her and nodded.

"I'll get back, then." He said politely.

"Thanks" Christy said, then turned to look at Neil again, a bit guiltily. She smiled faintly.

"Let's get back." Neil said distantly, but his eyes held tenderness and concern. She nodded and leaned heavily on him while the two walked back to the cabin. She wanted to go somewhere else... anywhere else, but that bed right now. But she knew resisting orders would be unwise.

Neil left soon after returning her to the safety of Alice's cabin, going to help with the clean up and reconstruction. It was such a mess!

_All of it is. _She thought sadly. Since she did not attend the funeral, Burl's death still did not seem real. _Burl..._

Sobs rose in her chest and suddenly she found she could not keep it in any longer. She finally let out all the pain and confusion she had been holding in those past days, and large drops of water spilled from her hung head and landed on the bed covers over her lap.

_Oh Lord, I need You! _She cried and cried until it hurt. A soft hand on her shoulder told her that as some point Miss Alice had come into the room. Christy looked up into the older woman's eye, which were wet and red too, and she saw the Quaker lady through a blur. Miss Alice sat down on the side of the bed and brought Christy into her, embracing the younger woman in a hug.

"He's in a better place..." Miss Alice said, stroking Christy's soft hair and holding the young woman as she sobbed, chest shaking with the effort.

"He's in a better place." She laid her head on Christy's and let her own tears come forth.

**Author's Note: I rushed this to be able to give you guys something, so let me know what you think. Actually, I've got the others already typed up, so they should be up every other day as before. I only had to add this chapter because that whole rain and storm thing was an idea of mine I hadn't written into the original story. :-)**


	13. Dear Companion

Chapter 13

Dear Companion

Four more graves, she noted sorrowfully. Four more nameless stones set at the head of four children who would never grow up in this world. This was the first time since the mission tragedy that she had felt strong enough to venture off by herself... or rather, the first time since then that Neil had allowed her to venture off by herself. Miss Alice's words that day, weeks earlier, provided comfort for her as she looked at each little marker, her eyes resting longest on the last one.

_He's in a better place. _She thought about those words, and how real they were. She knew they were real, and she was glad. Glad that Little Burl and those other children would now be experiencing something that she herself had never experienced... heaven, and the peace that went along with it. Yes, she was glad... she just still couldn't get over the fact that four little faces would be missing from the schoolhouse. No more grubby little hand shooting up triumphantly, saying with that silent gesture, "Teacher, I know hit!" Quick tears came to her eyes as she saw, in her mind's eye, Little Burl's shining blue eyes.

Two broad hands laid themselves gently on her shoulders and she suddenly looked back. She saw Neil's face, solemn but loving, and she quickly turned back around in an effort to keep him from seeing her tears, but he knew. She felt the need to be comforted, though, and so her stubbornness took second place as she turned around, still under his hands, and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back, being comforted by her gesture as much as he was comforting her. They both missed Little Burl, and though Christy had not been as close to the other children, part of her missed them too. She realized there would be four extra seats in the schoolhouse now. Four less faces...

Much to Christy's relief, the month of November melted away seemingly faster than the ever-multiplying frost in the morning. The days grew shorter -- and colder. Neil came by the mission often those days, sometimes on his way to or from medical trips, but sometimes just because. He and Christy were bundling up and taking more rides than ever on Charlie, just to see the way the mountain looked in winter. About mid November, the leaves had begun to fall, and now only a very few clung on to their branches, like the stubborn oaks who never seemed willing to let go. Neil had long ago taught Christy how to identify different types of trees, even in winter, and as they rode she would often study the forest around them, picking out trees she did know and, in the rare event that she did not know the name of one, asking Neil. Sometimes he would quiz her, and she could tell that he was impressed by how quickly she had caught on to all of it. For Christy it was a wonderful time of joy and anticipation, and as she looked ahead, she began to wonder what it would feel like when she was no longer Christy Rudd Huddleston, but Christy Rudd MacNeill. She had discussed the topic of the wedding night with Miss Alice earlier that day, just because she had some genuine questions about it. The idea of what she would experience that night both excited her and made her insides warm as well as make her a little nervous. But Miss Alice had patiently and kindly explained everything to the best of her ability, and Christy now felt more sure of herself. She knew Neil would never hurt her, and so she wasn't worried and just counted down the days until she was his wife.

By early December a light snow had fallen on the ground, blanketing everything in a peaceful slumber, and causing the Cove to look and feel as though it were sleeping. Squirrels and chipmunks were no longer out and about, and even the more domesticated family dogs seemed almost to be hibernating.

Christy's family, her father, mother, and brother, all arrived by the fifth of December, and busily began making plans. Julia was still slightly upset that her daughter had not chosen to go to Ashville, but she was able to conceal these feelings fairly well, and soon got so caught up in last minute wedding details that she put it behind her. She brought her wedding dress and their own personal seamstress to make the final alterations, and by the time everything was done the dress was gorgeous. Perfectly tailored to fit Christy's figure, it was a delicate creamy white with a gorgeous sweetheart neckline. Little bits of faux fur lined the neck, sleeves, and hem, looking truly Victorian in that respect. At the waist, a beautiful belt of a slightly darker color but same silky material of the dress wrapped around the back and then fell down in a graceful "V" shape, making Christy feel just like a highland princess. Instead of a veil, Christy had decided to wear a wreath made of fine vines and thin branches and decorated with an occasional wild juniper berry and leaf. She was presented the veil on the eve of her wedding and, with tears in her eyes and unspeakable joy in her heart, hugged first Julia, then Miss Alice and thanking them immensely for such a wonderful show of love.

The night before the wedding, Julia did her best to deliver the traditional "wedding night" speech, though Christy noticed how red her mother was and wondered if she were going to have to call the doctor. The thought made her want to giggle. She thought back to the speech Neil had given her on the birds and the bees, and she was amazed to see how much she had matured and adopted the mountain ways since then. While still more prudish than the doctor, probably, she had come a long way in her twenty-four months here and knew that she was by far more relaxed and realistic on the subject than her dear mother. She did her best to reassure her mother that she was okay, which, in the end, did calm her down.

The wedding day dawned beautifully bright and clear, as if God was watching their union from heaven and smiling on it. A fresh blanket of snow had covered the Cove, leaving everything perfectly preserved under thirteen inches of white. At first Christy was worried that this snow would make it hard for any one to arrive, but she soon discovered that her fears were ill-grounded when she started seeing families and individuals, one by one, making their way towards the mission.

The wedding was to be inside the house because of the cold weather, and the house itself looked beautiful. It was incredible, she thought, how quickly the men had been able to repair the mission. It would have been impossible for any new-comer to tell that they had had such a tragedy, and even Christy found it hard to imagine the carnage that the tree had brought. Opal, Mary Allen, and even Swannie O'Teale had been by the day before to spruce the place up, and it turned out lovely. Fine lace and delicate silks brought from Asheville were used to garnish tables and windows, dried flowers and fine ribbons gave the wintry cabin a sweet, homey appearance. Christy herself was absolutely stunning. She had wore her hair down on this joyous occasion, soft cinnamon brown tresses cascading in wavy falls down her back and spilling over her shoulders. She had taken a bath in her room that morning with a wedding present given to her by Miss Alice, a dainty bottle of rose-scented oil and talcum powder. Christy was speechless when she had first gotten the gift, realizing how precious it was and wondering how Miss Alice had been able to purchase it.

"From Pennsylvania" is all she had said, smiling tenderly with a motherly look in her gray eyes.

Christy's wedding dress fit her absolutely perfect, and she even had matching slippers, courtesy of Mrs. Huddleston. Christy hugged her mother again tightly before putting on the delicate veil.

"Oh, Miz Christy, ya look just beautiful!" Ruby Mae said, with tears in her young eyes. Christy cupped her hand on the young woman's face, smiling fondly as she thought of that first day she had asked Ruby Mae to help her "take a roll" at school. What a difference two years had made! Now the girl with the fiery red hair and ever-increasingly freckles was a young woman, wife, and mother.

Christy looked over at her own mother, who was smiling just as brightly, her eyes moist as well, and then she looked at Miss Alice. The Quaker from Pennsylvania who had been not only her mentor, but treasured friend. The woman who had demanded, and forced, Christy to pry the "young girl's hands off of the young girl's eyes." The woman who had challenged Christy to grow in her faith by asking God some pretty tough questions, some even rebellious. The woman who had sacrificed so much and then, as God promised in His word, was given back much more. Miss Alice was smiling radiantly, lit with that inner peace that only comes from a close relationship with the heavenly Father, and with tears in her eyes exclaimed,

"Thee will dazzle him" the same way she had to Aunt Polly Teague as she lay dying. Christy was so happy that she thought her heart would burst, and tenderly she reached over and gave the woman a hug. Alice returned the embrace and laid her cheek atop Christy's head for a moment. Then she straightened up and looked at her young charge,

"Neil awaits you." And smiled again. Christy couldn't help but think that Miss Alice was the most beautiful creature in the whole world. The woman slipped out of the room to wait for her at the altar where Neil and Christy would become man and wife. Even now, the thought seemed unreal to her.

"Are ya narvous? Oh, ye shouldn't be, land's sake, he's as scairt as you are. And ye look so mighty fine..." Ruby Mae chattered, holding her infant son in her arms. Ida, who thought Christy stunning indeed, was nevertheless looking like she might wring Ruby Mae's neck for talking so much. Christy chuckled. Yes, same old Ida...

Leaving the room and following her procession of brides maids down the long hall and down the stairs, she kept thinking about how much things were about to change for her, and how much she would love it. She would miss the mission, waking up each morning to see Miss Alice, and Ida, but she also looked forward to waking up as Neil's wife.

_Mrs. Christy MacNeill... Mrs. Christy Rudd MacNeill. _She kept rolling the name over and over again in her mind as she walked down the stairs. She found it to her liking. Butterflies in the pit of her stomach made her want to get this over with. She couldn't wait to leave the mission as Neil's wife... the thought exhilarated her.

_Yes Ruby Mae, I am nervous_... she thought uneasily. But as soon as she entered the room, she saw Neil, and everyone else paled in comparison. Hair trimmed and combed neatly, white button up shirt and his grandfather's kilt... Neil was absolutely a sight to make Christy weak in her knees. This would be her husband now... from this day forth, until death parted them. She looked into his crystal blue eyes and knew she would cherish every moment of it. His eyes and mouth crinkled into a smile when he saw her, Ida started playing Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" on their piano and all rose to their feet. Christy took her father's hand and started forward.

_Left, together, right, together. Keep doing it, go with the flow. Like on that day when you first experienced what the Cove calls a "log bridge"... _Suddenly she was caught up in the enormous turn-around her life had taken in these two years. She had gone from being a spoiled and pampered little girl who was running away from home to a young woman who found her faith and love severely challenged by the hardships of these breathtaking mountains. She had met the doctor, had found him to be stubborn, callous, sullen and even hostile. But she had not truly seen him...had not truly seen the love he held in his heart for "his people". A verse of the Bible that Christy had stumbled upon months ago and read the night before came forth in her mind.

_Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried._

Her eyes glimmered with tears as she thought of Ruth's brave declaration to Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17. Only this time, this declaration, Christy had made to Neil, she thought happily. Forever and forever, no matter what happened, till they were parted in death.

Christy looked at the people as she walked down the aisle, arm resting in her father's. There were the Spenser's, Jeb and all the children. She noticed Jeb's red rimmed eyes and thought he was probably reminiscing on his marriage to Fairlight. Even now as she thought of her beloved friend, she felt heavy-hearted.

She saw Mary, and her heart went out to the woman. What a horrible experience, she thought, to loose a child. If it was so hard for her, what must this mother be feeling? She offered an understanding smile as she caught the woman's eye, and Mary seemed to know what Christy meant.

All the faces of the children, all her schoolchildren, so bright and happy. They all seemed so happy that she and their doc "was finally gettin' hitched". She remembered snatches of conversations she had had with people during their engagement, things like

"Lordy Ma'am! I just knowed you were the one for him!" Or

"Ye loved him from the day ye seed him, I knowed ya did. Why on earth did ya wait so long...?"

_I don't know why I waited so long to tell him, I guess I was unsure myself. _She thought as they neared the altar. William stepped forward with her and handed her to Neil, who winked at her as the two finished walking to Miss Alice, that lovely smile never leaving his face. Christy blushed, and then grinned back at him shyly. The two came to a stop and faced one another. Miss Alice was absolutely radiant as she beamed at the sight of the happy couple in front of her.

"Friends, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to..."

_Husband and wife... husband and wife... I will be his wife, and he will be my husband. _A fleeting thought of what her old friends in Asheville would think of Neil, and then it was gone. This was her home now, forever. She would always be a part of these mountains. She would always love this...

Now Miss Alice was done speaking. Christy had somehow managed to speak the words "I do" at the correct time, even though her mind wasn't really on what was being said. Neil seemed to realize this and grinned at her in amusement.

A wonderful reception awaited the couple after the ceremony. Well-wishers and friends came by the MacNeill's table to congratulate them both. Jeb came over and slapped Neil on the back.

"Well, so you two finally did it. We all knew it was comin', but you shore did keep us in suspense." He said lightheartedly. Neil glanced at Christy, who grinned back.

"It's more fun that way." Neil said teasingly. Jeb laughed and left to join his family. Neil and Christy sat side by side at the table, eating calmly until Miss Alice announced "it's time for the happy couple to cut the cake!" She practically had to yell to be heard over all the conversations. Neil slipped out of his seat and held out a hand for Christy, who took it and stood up, smiling at him.

After the cake cutting ceremony, there was, as always, dancing. It seemed the mountain people loved to dance, as much as they loved to breathe, and Christy was forever amazed at how well they could do it. Some of them, including the doctor, seemed to have danced from birth!

The first dance was a slow waltz, and many couples joined in. Neil had never looked more handsome, she thought, or maybe it was just because she kept thinking _I'm his wife... I'm his! _That the dancing became so much more pleasurable.

"_There were four & twenty ladies fair stood together on the green_

_But a fairer one than all of them took Willie's horse from him_." Neil began singing in his rich baritone. Christy smiled, knowing full well the song he was singing. It was a traditional Scottish ballad that told of Lady Margaret, the courageous young woman who would not leave the side of the man she loved.

"Don't let me fool you, Mrs. MacNeill, I'm actually an amateur at this whole dancing business." Neil whispered in her ear, breaking the silence.

"You Doctor?" She asked with mock incredulity.

"Yes, don't believe me?" He asked.

"No" She replied seriously. He glanced over at Bob Allen, who was currently standing off to the side of the dance floor with some other men.

"Now that Bob Allen, he's got the skill down quite well." Neil said, nodding slightly in his direction. This time Christy's incredulity was completely real. Neil saw her look and nodded in all seriousness.

"Well, why isn't he dancing now?" She asked her husband.

"The waltz has never been his favorite."

"And he told you this?" She asked, raising a thin eyebrow skeptically.

"Well, not exactly. It was about five years ago, at another mountain wedding. He and Mary took the dance floor and, Christy, you would have been impressed. I asked him where he had learned it later, and he just grinned at me, saying 'wuldn't ya like ta know'. You think I'm good, but no, I don't come close to measuring up to his." He said, enjoying the astonished look on her face. The news about Bob Allen was surprising indeed, and she wondered if she could get the mountain man to talk some with her about it, but then decided against it. Then another thought struck her, and she looked up at Neil, eyes growing wide.

"Neil, this is a mountain wedding." She began. He seemed to have already read where this was going, and began grinning. She blushed.

"Yes?" He asked slowly, feigning innocence.

"At mountain weddings, don't they normally have a... shivaree?" She asked, getting slightly annoyed at the look of pure mirth on her husband's face. Suddenly he burst out laughing.

"Usually." He admitted. "But I thought you had known that." He asked, trying to stop chuckling.

"I just thought I'd make sure I understood correctly." She said, trying to stop her ridiculously red face from getting any worse.

"So...?" She asked, and he raised an eyebrow, amusement completely unconcealed on his face and smile.

"Little schoolteacher, I thought I had explained that custom to you." He asked. She gulped, and nodded, not daring to meet her mother's eyes.

"Well, I guess there's no getting out of it, is there?" She asked him. He shook his head and his smile was largely than ever.

"Dr. MacNeill!" She said, pretending to scold him. But the truth was that she could not.

_Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be shivareed. _And in the back of her mind, while she knew her mother would have a fit if she knew of Christy's thoughts, Christy thought she'd enjoy going along with the mountain custom.

"But, they'll take us to our cabin, right?" She asked quietly. Neil's eyes were shining as he nodded.

"I was able to convince them of _that_." He said thoughtfully. She let out a sigh, then relaxed into her husband's arms and allowed him to guide her effortlessly around the room. They did a waltz pose in the middle of the floor, he and she completing the maneuver with perfect grace and poise, to the cheering and clapping of the guests. As Neil swung her back up into his arms, she suddenly realized that the size of dancers had gotten smaller. The men and women were subtly dividing themselves into gender specific groups, with the men who weren't dancing on one side of the room and the women who weren't dancing on the other side. Christy noticed the women watching her and whispering together coyly. Her younger brother George, having liked Neil well and spending much time with him, seemed to know exactly what was going on, and stood off to the side with a knowing look on his fair face that bordered mirth.

At last the dance had ended, and Christy noticed that Jeb wasn't starting another tune. _Here we go, the moment has come. _She thought, finding herself getting caught up in the fun of the girlish giggles coming from some of the older women in the group. Neil stepped back from her and grinned.

"See you later" he said impishly, and Christy blushed, shaking her head in amazement.

"Christy, can you cum over here?" Opal asked her innocently. Christy risked a glance at her mother, who was looking at Miss Alice with an increasingly pale look on her face, eyes growing wide in shock. The Quaker lady was calmly explaining something to her, but Julia's reaction made Christy chuckle.

_I guess Miss Alice just explained to her what a mountain 'shivaree' is. _Christy thought, mildly amused. How different she had become! She remembered when Neil had told her about the shivaree for the first time. It was at Ruby Mae's wedding... and she had been completely flustered. She wondered how well her poor mother was taking this. Well, she reasoned, her mother would have to find out sometime.

"Yes, Opal?" She asked, as she reached the group. Bessie (Coburn) Spenser and Ruby Mae were trying hard to suppress their giggles, and even Mary Allen wore a sly grin on her face.

"Cum with us to the doc's cabin" she said, and then she and Mary Allen each took one of Christy's arms and led her out the front door of the mission. As she was exiting, she looked over her shoulder at Neil, who was watching her and pretending very hard to be confused, but didn't come close to making it. A fun look played in his blue eyes and on his mouth.

"I'll get you later" she mouthed silently, and then she was outside the mission. The cold air stung her cheeks and hands as the ladies led her down the steps where a covered wagon was waiting for them. Climbing inside, Bessie and Ruby Mae, two of Christy's former students who had already had this done to them, reached down for Christy's hands, and up she went. They had laid out a blanket on the wagon bed so she wouldn't get her dress dirty, a thoughtful gesture, she thought, considering what they were doing to her.

Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to relax and not worry about it. The rest of the trip was spent with Ruby Mae and Bessie talking about how much she would like being a married woman. She blushed crimson several times, but none of them seemed to notice.

At last they were at Neil's cabin, and Christy quickly climbed out of the wagon to get in from the cold air. The ladies had apparently already been there because there was a roaring fire in the fireplace, making the room warm. Once inside, Bessie and Opal took her hands again and led her into Neil's - their - bedroom. The mischievous looks on the women's faces was too much, and she found herself laughing along with them.

"Are ya narvous?" Opal asked softly, looking at her face. Christy breathed in deeply, and nodded. Opal came over and patted her on the shoulder.

"Ye shouldn't worry honey. You'll see." And then with a tender smile, she left. The others left too, one by one, and soon she couldn't even hear them in the house.

"Now don't be leavin'!" Bessie Spenser admonished before leaving.

Christy was just beginning to wonder how long she would have to sit there when she heard some noise outside. Loud, raucous laughter from several men. That could only mean one thing...

"Doc's fired up and ready, ain't gotta drag him inside!" One of the men - Bogg, she thought - said.

"Get up them stairs boy." Jeb said heartily, and Christy could hear them all scrambling up after her husband.

_They're all coming up, oh no! _She thought. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tried to appear casual, but inside she felt like her heart would literally beat out of its chest. She glanced around the room, their room, trying to think of something else than her embarrassment at having all these men in her room.

Definitely a bachelor's cabin, the room lacked anything feminine or decorative. She looked at the bare windows and thought of what part of her mother's wedding present had been... beautiful navy blue curtains made of some type of muslin-like material.

Just then the door opened, and she looked up. In came her groom, grinning and being led by Jeb and Uncle Bogg. John Spenser and Bob Allen were talking somewhere downstairs, she could hear their voices.

With a mischievous laugh and a slap on the shoulder, both Bogg and Jeb soon left, tramping downstairs boisterously. Neil approached Christy slowly,

"You look beautiful, love." He said, reaching for her hand. Her delicate fingers felt so fine in his strong hand that she seemed like a child. Neil looked back at the door and listened. Not hearing the men in the cabin anymore, Neil turned back to his wife and winked.

"Why Mrs. MacNeill, it seems very hot in here, don't you think?" He asked playfully. Christy looked up at him coyly and with a pleased expression he reached back and pushed the bedroom door shut with his boot.

**Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! I had to restructure the story a little after I improvised on a whim. :-/**

**Anyhoo, mystery lovers... the plot's still on, I just had to write their marriage and stuff! **

**Now, again, my posting should speed back up. Thanks for putting up with me guys, and I LOVE the reviews, you guys are fantastic!**


	14. Something Old, Something New

Chapter Thirteen

Something Old, Something New

It had been almost two weeks since marrying Dr. MacNeill, and Christy loved her time together with him. Medical emergencies kept him away more often than they would like, but the times they had together they were able to make special.

Christy's family had stayed at the mission house for a few days after the wedding. The afternoon after their wedding, when she saw her parents and brother next, she could tell what they were thinking. At one point her mother had come up to her, during recess while the children were out playing, and had taken her hand and gently squeezed it.

"You are glowing today, Christy." She whispered before smiling and leaving. Christy's cheeks were still crimson when her schoolchildren came back in from playing.

Christmas had come and gone, and Christy was surprised to see that it was almost spring already. With spring came her hopes of planting a garden, or maybe two. One would have vegetables and the other would be an herb garden. Neil had raised an eyebrow quizzically at first in response to her plans, but she held fast with the argument that she could then use it to cook new foods and show the women of the cove how to do the same.

Spring in the mountains could never be rushed, and just as soon as the weather warmed up, it grew cold again. The rain too, seemed to be coming hard and heavy this year, and the forced confinement inside the MacNeill's small cabin was beginning to drive her crazy.

One morning, after a difficult night for both of them since Neil had been on a medical call all night, Christy thought if she didn't get a chance to walk and clear her mind she would indeed go crazy. Neil was against the idea immediately, saying that she could easily become someone's prey in the mountains alone.

"I'm not a child" She argued. Neil did not look up from his plate of food.

"Sometimes you do act childish." He muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for her to hear.

"I am not property that you can keep under lock and key! I'll be fine." She said, now irritated at his previous comment. This did make him look up, and he stared into her eyes.

"Why do you want to put yourself in danger like that? Just so you can get your own way? How childish is that?" He said, temper and voice rising as he stood up from the table. Christy could see he was leaving but wasn't ready to give in, and stood up to follow him, fire shining hotly in her eyes and jaw clenched angrily.

"There's no reason I shouldn't go!" She argued.

"You want to go risk your life, fine." He paused, anger rising up in him quickly. He was tired and had just bandaged up a victim of a long and nasty fall down a cliff... and here she was, perfect picture of arrogance, wanting to throw herself in danger just so she could "prove" some independence! He couldn't lose her... he had already come perilously close to doing so soon after their marriage, and he couldn't bear the thought of not having her with him. He turned around and glared at her, clenching his fists in anger.

"But don't expect me to follow." He said, watching her shocked reaction. Even as the words left his mouth he knew they were wrong... he had gone too far. But he was too angry, too proud, and too tired to apologize right then. She didn't cry; he hadn't expected her to. In fact she held herself erect and proud, but he could see the damage his words had done to her.

You went too far, man. You're tired, you shouldn't have said that. He thought.

Part of him whispered, apologize!

Part of him yelled rebelliously NO!

He was about to go into his laboratory when a knock on his door brought Ault Allen, coming to tell him that Mary was "carryin' on right bad" and was "hot as a fire cracker". Neil hesitated momentarily, looking back at Christy before leaving. But Christy had her arms folded hotly across her chest and was standing with her back to him, staring aimlessly at the stairs in front of her.

Neil sighed, then looked back at Ault, who was expecting him to leave quickly. Yanking on his coat he once more turned to his wife, who had not moved.

"I'll be home shortly." Was all he could say, and then he left, closing the wooden door behind him. Christy felt the swoosh of cold air on her back and then, nothing.

A tear sprang unbidden to her eye, and she felt the warm liquid trickle down her cheek.

How dare he think that? She thought angrily, then looked back at the door.

"I am his wife, not his slave." She looked at the door thoughtfully.

"And he can't keep me here!" With that she wrote a quick note explaining that she would be back later and left, closing the door firmly behind her, and started walking in the direction of God's fist.

God's Fist was always a beautiful place, though especially in the late to early summer months when everything around the rock would be green and living. While it was a little too early in the year for that, she knew it would still be beautiful. The tiny purple vinka would be blooming, trailing along the ground with their thick, shiny dark green leaves and their delicate flowers with the almost transparent petals. She loved the cheerful little flower, it was so hardy and able, it grew anywhere it could, and the tiny little purple flower, on a rare occasion white, would happily sit in its spot, contented to grow where it was planted. A smile came to her lips as she thought of how she was growing where she had been planted, with her true soul mate. Her smile turned to a small frown as she thought of her husband. Strong, sturdy and incredibly masculine, she felt safe around him. His hands were strong enough to swing an ax, and yet gentle enough to save a life. She had missed him so much when he was gone, and then he had been so hurtful. Our first fight as a married couple. She thought bitterly. His words had stung her, stung her deeply. What was the matter with him anyway? She had just wanted to be free, to get out of the house for a little while and enjoy the mountains.

She continued walking as she pondered this. Soon though, these thoughts drifted away and in their place came new ones. She knew that when she was younger, she had never thought that she would leave her home and travel back not only in distance but in time as well, fall in love with both a minister and a handsome country doctor, almost die of typhoid and then realize her love for the doctor and marry him. She had always supposed as a young girl, yes even dreamed of, growing up and marrying a handsome young man somewhere from Asheville who wore a tuxedo and was very "civilized", have children and host elegant parties and teas for the rest of her life. She shook her head now as she thought of it,

Not a bad life, but I had to find out what this life was really about. I would never have even begun to reach my potential back in Asheville. Too sterile of an environment. God needed me here so He could teach me what was really important... Despite the cold air outside, she felt warm. Warm from her inside, the very depths of her. She knew that God loved her. Looking back on her life, and all the many twists and turns it had taken to get to this point, Christy could now look and see God in all of it, even Fairlight's death. The knowledge that highland woman of grace would never be again still saddened Christy, but now she could see that God had never left her through that difficult time, even as she sat brooding and sinking deeper into rebellion, He was there.

The further she walked, the less angry and more hollow she began to feel. She felt a terrible aloneness, as she walked, thinking of Neil and his hurtful words. She just wanted him to be his same old self, but lately it seemed as if he had been slightly irritable, and moody. He had been sullen, and would not give in when she asked him what was wrong. As a matter of fact, she thought cynically, she had seen this fight coming for a while now.

I will never leave you or forsake you. She thought, remembering God's promise.

Please help me and Neil Lord, and whatever he's going through, help him with it. Amen.

She pushed on, walking further as even more anger fell away. She looked around at the scenery, and a small smile parted her lips. Here deeper into the mountains, the trail began to grow steep. Christy had walked this way many times before and had expected this part, always the most difficult before reaching the top. Reaching out to young saplings in front of her and holding on for balance, she slowly made her way up to the top. Her body, despite the relatively cool day, was beginning to grow warm from the physical exertion as she forced her leg muscles to bend and take her farther up into the mountain.

The cold air made her warm breath turn white as she climbed, and the wind that had picked up stung her cheeks. As she reached the top, she looked back on what she had just climbed, a satisfied smile coming to her face. Ben Pentland's words of "so steep ye could stand up an' bite the ground" came to mind, making her smile even wider. Hands on her hips, she breathed in and out deeply a few times in order to regain her lost breath, and continued. The large outcropping of rock had been named so of course, because it resembled a man's fist of monstrous proportions. She could see it, about twenty-five feet in front of her, attached to the edge of an incredibly steep cliff. Parents of the cove had always cautioned their children not to go to God's fist, and some had even invented ghost stories to keep the younger ones away, for this very reason. A swift drop over the ledge would plunge you one hundred and fifty feet down to a bottom lined with sharp rocks and a few trees. But it was, in Christy's opinion, one of the most beautiful places in Cutter Gap, and she loved coming here for some peaceful time. She would climb out on the rock and sit next to the base which created a perfect backrest, and drink in the view. From this elevation she could see miles of undisturbed forest, with the occasional rustic log cabin, and then behind and around that, the great mountain peaks, rising one after another like guardians protecting their peaceful kingdom. In the distance, she could see the faintest blue mountains, and as they got closer, they evolved into shades of lavender, purple, and then finally a deep slate blue. She could sit on the edge of the rock and let her legs dangle in the open air, while underneath her hill upon rolling hill covered, at this point in the season, in bare trees with rich brown leaves resting underneath, or else the pine tree with its green needles and deep, spicy aroma. It was a beautiful spot, and had instantly become one of her favorites after Fairlight's death and her rebellion. It had been a comforting place where she could come and talk with God, and feel as though she really had the chance to listen to Him.

She breathed in deeply, letting her hand slide down onto her abdomen. What will it be like? She wondered, carrying our child? She smiled at the thought, though she knew it was too early just yet to expect anything. Even though she and Neil had made something like that easy, more than once. SHe blushed crimson as she thought of just how passionate her husband could be. The idea of seeing a beautiful little boy with red curly hair and fair skin caused her heart to skip a beat.

"Lord, you are absolutely wonderful. You've taken a confused little girl like me and gently, tenderly, opened my eyes. You've saved my life, now and for eternity, and taught me how I should live. Then, on top of everything else, you gave me Neil. I love you Lord, You're so good to me and I don't deserve it. Please strengthen Neil and me, we're not perfect... and this morning was a testimony to that. Thank you Father, for everything You've done and will do." She said, leaning back against the rough rock and closing her eyes.

It was getting much later in the day when she decided to go back to her cabin. Her husband would be getting home soon and she had decided to make him a special dinner tonight, one more way of showing her appreciation for all the hard work that he did, and - perhaps - to ask his forgiveness.

She sighed. He hadn't been right in what he had said or done, but he had been right in the fact that, at least partly, her desire to leave their cabin had been one born out of a childish desire to prove her independence. She bit her lip guiltily, remembering his tale of the person he had just sewed up, and felt sorry that she had not been more sympathetic to that fact.

As she rounded the trail to the cabin, she was surprised to see the door standing open, waving gently with the breeze. But, she hadn't left it open. One of the children, maybe coming by...? She was brought out of her reverie as the form of a man filled the doorway about ten feet from her. Hastily she ducked behind some branches off of the trail and watched. She couldn't get a good look at his face, but she was certain he wasn't one of the mountain men. She had never seen him before. He was going through something on the front porch now, hands scattering it about carelessly as he obviously sought something.

"Ormer, git in here will ya?" A voice from inside yelled. Ormer turned his head first in her direction. His lazy eyes nevertheless swept the woods thoroughly, and Christy was sure she would be seen. Whether by God's protection or Ormer's inadequacy, she somehow escaped detection, and now she strained her ears to hear what the two were saying.

"...need to find it. Gots ta be in here somewhar's...break that..." She heard snatches of his conversation with the other one inside because the wind kept picking up, scattering leaves and whistling through the trees. The bare winter scrubs and trees made a pathetic hideout, she thought ruefully. I have to warn Neil, I should... just then the branch she was leaning her hand on snapped, making a sound that was almost too loud for what it was. Ormer's head shot up.

"Hey you! Stop!" He yelled, and took off running towards her. Christy began running too but he seemed almost like he possessed some supernatural strength in his legs, and as she tried desperately to get up the hill and back onto the trail he caught her. Grabbing her legs, he threw his full weight on her and shoved her roughly to the ground, Ormer grabbed her hair and yanked it, forcing her to turn over on her back and look at him. She struggled, trying madly to get away, to avoid another capture, but it was no use. He allowed his body to match up evenly with hers as she lay, helpless, on the cold ground. He smelled heavily of unwashed man, and his eyes, a bright green, held a dumb, vacant look.

"What's a purty little thing like you doin here alone? You could get caught." He said, leaning his head down and whispering in her ear. She felt his hands on her body, running down her arms and further, and was horrified at what he might do to her. Managing to free one hand, she reached back and grabbed a handful of dirt. In one motion she threw the dirt into his eyes. He brought his hands up to rub at his eyes but didn't allow her any means of escape, much to her displeasure. He now eyed her angrily, and pushed his body up to a sitting position. He sat on her chest with his legs bent at the knees to either side of her body, his muscular legs trapping her arms. In an instant his whole frame of mind seemed to change. Grabbing her throat tightly with both hands, he squeezed hard. Gasping for breath, Christy fought in vain to prevent him from killing her, trying to grab his hands and move them. But his hands, like the rest of him, were huge and incredibly strong. She couldn't move them an inch. She could not kick because of how his body was positioned, which made it worse. His weight crushed her as she fought back, unwilling to go without a fight. She was now gasping for breath, each attempt coming in only as a painful lurch, and she felt herself suffocating. A man appeared behind her to watch with a blank expression on his dirty face. Much thinner and paler than her attacker, he crossed his arms solemnly and watched impassively as Ormer slowly strangled the life from her. The skinny man seemed somehow familiar, though she wasn't giving it much thought. She tried to free her body but Ormer was doing all he could to crush her. Christy's head began to swim, her vision fading to black as he continued choking her.

I cannot die, Lord surely this isn't the end of it. She thought, gasping for any sort of oxygen to keep her starved body alive. Tears came to her eyes as she slowly began to fade, succumbing to the darkness that enveloped her. Her hands gradually loosened their grip on his and finally rolled limply to the ground on either side of her. As she finally submitted herself to the darkness, her last thoughts were of Neil, standing teary-eyed by her coffin on the side of the mountain.

She felt herself being almost weightless, as if suspended in space by some unknown force. The feeling was surreal and she struggled to survey her surroundings, but no matter how far she turned her head in either direction, all she saw was black. Strangely, though it was dark and there was no light to be seen, it wasn't the kind of dark that terrified her on stormy nights. It was a peaceful kind of dark, like the feeling she had right before waking up each morning, when she was still in a semi-conscious state. Then she saw a figure approach her through the peaceful black. The being called out in a loud voice that shook the ground, bringing her to her knees.

"Christy, your work is not finished here. Cutter Gap needs you. Do not be afraid of these men who seek you..."

Gradually, the weightlessness she had experienced was replaced by a heavier, back to earth feeling. The vision, or dream, faded. She could now feel something under her body, supporting her as she lay... where was she? Still in the woods? Was she even alive? Questions were her enemy under normal circumstances, but now they tormented her. She could not find anybody to ask, she could not wake up...

"Miz Christy? Miz Christy, ya gotta wake up Ma'am." She heard the voice, a familiar, comforting voice. It belonged to someone she knew... who's voice was that?

"You're safe now, those men are gone." The voice pleaded. Firm hands were on her shoulders, shaking her gently.

"Please Ma'am." The person said again. And then she knew who it was. She tried to make her eyes open, but could not. She could now sense a person nearby, and tried to communicate with him. Yes, yes she was sure it was a he, and he had been a former student of hers.

"Come on, Ma'am, please -" But he stopped as he heard something coming toward the cabin. Christy listened, now she could hear it to. Hooves beating against the semi-thawed ground in a three beat gait; whoever it was was cantering their horse.

The figure by her bed apparently stood up, she could hear him rising and could feel his hand lay gently on her arm,

"It's Doc MacNeil, ma'am, it's your husband." And he left to go to the front door. She wasn't upstairs, then, she thought, because she didn't hear him going down any stairs.

"John?" She heard the surprise in Neil's voice. Then he apparently saw her because in an instant she felt a rush of air as her husband approached her. I must be on the sofa. Now if only I had the strength... she felt Neil's hands on her gently, checking her pulse and moving swiftly over her body with a doctor's precision. She heard a sharp intake of breath from her husband.

"What happened?" He asked. It was a calm question, but Christy could hear the worry and urgency in it.

"I don't rightly know, Doc. I wuz comin' over to ya to see 'bout that fishin' pole we were talkin' 'bout and I saw a man attacking Miz Christy. He had her pinned on the ground and was chokin' her. 'Course I had my gun so I aimed it at him and told him to leave her alone. There was two of them and they got scairt and ran away. When I came to Miz Christy she was lyin' on the ground unconscious and she hasn't woke up yet. I brought her inside and the cabin was wrecked, like it is now." John said. Christy felt Neil's hands run gently down her face and on her neck. His warm, gentle hands didn't seem to miss any part of her skin, but seemed as delicate as a baby's touch. She found herself enjoying the warmth in his hands. He got about half way down her neck when it hurt, and flinched, letting out a low moan.

"Shh... It's okay, love, no one can hurt you now." There was a pause as he examined the purple bruise marks shaped like fingers that trailed around her neck. She felt something wet on her neck as well, and she wondered if she were bleeding.

"Christy, can you hear me? Please, please come back to me! John, how long has she been like this?" Neil asked, now openly concerned.

"Please, try to think!" He pleaded. John didn't say anything for a moment.

"'Bout half an hour, I'd say." He said at last. Neil let out a desperate sigh. Christy felt sorry for him and tried opening her eyes. But she was exhausted, and found it impossible to command the strength required to do so.

She felt Neil stroke her hair soothingly, the way he always did during tender moments. The words she had heard, or thought she heard, during her vision encouraged her to try again to somehow let Neil know she was alive.

At last it seemed that she had the strength to do so and timidly she opened her eyes, blinking against the bright light from the oil lamp that John held. It was dark outside the cabin, she must have been asleep for awhile. She saw the two faces, surprise and worry etched on both, but absolute desperation on Neil's. The shadows cast on him by the lamp's light made him look much older and very tired. Then he saw her open her eyes, and looked at her with an expression on his face that she had never seen with such intensity before. He seemed enormously relieved that she was awake and incredibly concerned about her health. And she was sure that at that moment, he would have taken on her attackers by himself if they were here. A tear slipped down his cheek and she watched it fall, then looked back up at him. He looked as though he were in pain. She squeezed his hand a little to reassure him, surprised at how weak she was.

"Christy" he whispered, reaching up to stroke her soft hair. When she gave him a weak, pained smile, he quickly looked her over with fresh concern.

"Does anything hurt?" He asked.

"M... my... neck." She replied, closing her eyes as if speaking had taken all her energy. She opened her eyes again and looked up at him with tears glistening in them. He nodded slowly.

"That's to be expected... it looks like you were given quite a bruise." He tried to sound soft for her sake, but she could hear the notes of anger in his voice. From behind them John cleared his throat.

"If ya'll don't need me, I best be gettin' back. Bessie will probly wonder where I am." He said thoughtfully.

"Yes, John, you should go, Bessie will be worried about you. Thank you so much for helping her." Neil said, turning to look at the young man earnestly.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you." He said sincerely, his own voice weak with the conflicting emotions that raged through him. John shrugged simply.

"Tweren't nothin'. Culdn't much leave her ta.." he said, but stopped before finishing. One look on Neil's face and he didn't have the heart to finish.

"Thanks all the same." He said. Christy wanted to speak, wanted to somehow thank the young man who had saved her life, but she was afraid her voice would fail her right now if she tried to speak. All she could do was nod and smile weakly. John looked uncomfortable, as if seeing his beloved former teacher in such a state was more than he could bear. Twisting his hat in his hands nervously, he met her gaze for a moment, smiled like a gentleman, and then left, nodding once more to Neil before leaving.

By themselves, she now felt more at ease, but she was absolutely heartbroken when she saw Neil struggle so.

"Neil" she said softly, more like a caressing whisper. He instantly looked at her. She smiled at him, more strongly than before, as she felt her strength returning. He reached down and touched her cheek gently, caressing it. When he spoke, his accent was thick with emotion.

"I thought it was over... who would attack you, and why? You're the most innocent person here, Christy." He began, growing angrier the more he thought on it. She was slightly stunned at his anger, and she drew back. She could see the hurt in his eyes as he began stroking her hair again. She liked the motion, the smooth, gentle feel of his hand running over her hair and face, comforting her like a child. She needed that right now. She needed Neil, she wanted to be in his arms and have him holding her.

Neil patted her gently on the hand and left the room. Soon he came back with some salve, which he gently applied to the cuts and bruises on her neck. She enjoyed the feel of his hands, knowing that he would never intentionally hurt her, and so she laid back quietly as he finished. Every now and then during the process he glanced up at her to see if he were hurting her. When he got to a really nasty bruise, she flinched, and then instantly regretted it. He looked as though he had just been slapped in the face, and his misty eyes betrayed his heartache. Christy reached over and took his free hand in hers, holding it gently and hoping to make him feel better. It wasn't his fault that she had been hurt... he hadn't done this. When he finished, he brought some sterile gauze and wrapped it gently around the cuts to keep out infection. Then, after cleaning the ointment off his hands, he came back to her, sitting down by her side and stroking her hair.

"Neil, I'm afraid. Please don't leave me." She said, and then she could hold it in no longer and began crying. Neil looked at the vulnerable little body of the schoolteacher and wanted to cry himself. So strong, so seemingly invincible with such a big heart for her people, and now she was pleading with him, looking like a wounded animal that needed protection.

"Shhh... it's okay." He cooed, sitting gently down on the sofa and picking her up into his arms. She laid her head and one hand on his chest and closed her eyes, allowing herself to give in to his efforts. He rocked back and forth with her for a moment, stroking her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He allowed her to sob, held her tightly as she poured all her fear and grief out in tears that racked her entire body, making her shake violently in Neil's arms, then finally, when she had nothing left, just breathe in and out silently. When he felt like she was finally controlled enough, he decided to risk a question.

"What happened today?" He asked, still stroking her hair. It felt like silk under his fingers, and he found himself needing the comfort it brought. He felt her take in a deep breath, as if ready to plunge into something cold and uncomfortable.

"I had gone on a walk, to God's fist. I got home and there were two men in the cabin, I could see one of them rifling through some things on the front porch. I had hidden as well as I could, but he saw me, and came running after me. I tried to get away, but I've never seen someone so fast. He, he grabbed my legs and pushed me to the ground, then..." she choked back a sob that was rising in her throat, "laid on top of me and started choking me." She finished, just barely, before a new batch of tears came. Neil held her tightly, praying for the wisdom to make the right decision. She could feel his arms tighten around her, and his body go rigid with anger towards this unknown stranger.

"I'm so sorry love." He said after a moment, struggling to keep the anger out of his voice. Who would dare...?

"Did you get a good look at his face Christy? Anything that the law can use to identify him with?" She was slightly unnerved when she heard him mention the law. Remembering Tom McHone's blood stained body slumped over the horse of Gentry Long came back to her in a flash. It wasn't the laws fault, of course, but she knew that when the sheriff got involved back here, the people usually got testy.

"I..." she thought for a moment. She had not seen much of him actually.

"I only saw that he was a big man, very broad and solidly built. He, he had another man with him who was much smaller and thinner..." she thought back to the thin man behind her would-be murderer. His eyes, something about them... she had seen them before. But where? She... no. No that could not be. But it was. She had seen them before. That wicked gleam, the bright intelligent but indifferent expression. Those were Red's eyes. But surely they weren't related.

"What about him?" Neil prodded gently, sensing his wife's hesitation.

"He looked like Red." She said simply, but he could see the horror in her eyes.

"Who's 'Red'?" Neil asked with growing concern.

"The man who was talking to you from the front window, the man who... who Uncle Bogg shot." She replied shakily. Suddenly her husband seemed quiet... too quiet. He looked around at the disastrous cabin, then back at his wife's still form. Were there more of them out there? And why do they want to hurt his wife? So many questions, so few answers. He looked out the window with a look of despair etched in his face, fearing that this matter was far from over.

**Author's Note: Well, what did ya think?**


	15. Foreshadowed Truth

Chapter 15

Foreshadowed Truth

The following Monday, when Neil was sure that his young wife was well enough to travel, he and Christy went to the mission. The wounds on her neck had healed rapidly, and Neil had taken the bandages off, so she didn't feel so self-conscious. She still didn't want to go and be seen at the moment but Neil kindly but firmly insisted. He also asked her to cancel her school for that day, and she, though she missed the children, agreed. He needed to get to the bottom of this mystery and was hoping that maybe Alice could help him.

Thoughts kept nagging at him relentlessly as he rode, with Christy in the front. Were they after him, or his wife? Why would they be after Christy when she had done nothing but love and support these people? Was someone sore at how she had preached against moonshining so? But, that had been almost a year ago... no, he decided, it couldn't be that. Then again, her comments about one of the men resembling the kidnapper who had gotten shot were a little unnerving. How many were there, and who were they? At the back of every question in his mind loomed the all important "why" question. It didn't make since, none of it did. The worse thing about it was that he had no idea how to begin answering any of these questions. That was where he hoped Alice could help.

Upon hearing of the latest with Christy, Miss Alice at once agreed wholeheartedly with Neil that she would never be left alone again.

She graciously served them tea and fresh sugar cookies as the three of them discussed this recent string of events. Would it continue? Those men knew she was not dead, and so if they were in fact after Christy, would they not return to finish the job? This was just what Neil feared.

Christy, for her part, was being unusually silent and withdrawn, and Neil kept watching her closely. Ever since the last attack, he had watched with despair as she cautiously kept to the house, acting like a hunted animal that was waiting for the trap.

"We must ask for God's help in this. I do not know the answers that thee seeks Neil, but I do know One who does." Miss Alice said. Her gray eyes sparkled as she looked tenderly on the young couple she loved so much.

"Let us pray for guidance." She recommended, and all three took each other's hands and bowed their heads.

"Lord, we come to you today with heavy hearts. We do not know why the MacNeill's have been targeted so, but we pray for Your guidance in this matter. Please protect Neil and Christy as they search for the answers to this puzzle, and please give them the wisdom to understand. We thank Thee for Thy infinite mercy to us today and forever, and we will always praise Your Name. In Jesus' name we do pray, amen." She squeezed both Christy's and Neil's hands before releasing. Her eyes were moist as she looked at the husband and wife whom she had married just a short while ago. She loved both of them dearly, and was torn to hear of what had happened to the brave young schoolteacher, not once, but twice now.

"Thank you Miss Alice." Christy whispered gratefully, knowing that God would do something powerful in this situation. Miss Alice smiled and said that she needed to clean some things up in the kitchen, and she'd be right back.

Neil nodded and smiled, overcome by the emotions that flooded through him. He felt anger, yes, and he had come here feeling as though he could kill these men with his bare hands, but somewhere in the prayer he felt as though God were saying, Neil, trust Me. Have I not saved her before? I love you and your wife so much that I died for you, is that not enough? It was a gentle feeling of warmth that entered him, sweeping through his limbs and thawing his heart, taking with it the enormous burden he had been carrying ever since that day he discovered Christy had been captured. Mixed with the relief, however, there still lingered some doubt. What if God's way of protecting her is by taking her to be with Him? I don't know if I could stand that. He thought sadly. The idea of losing this beautiful, wonderful woman who he had given his heart to was more than he could bear. It completely overshadowed the grief he felt at losing Margaret... because he realized that he loved Christy more than he had ever loved Margaret. Christy made him, she completed him and filled the empty void he had held within himself silently for years. Funny, he thought with a cynical smile, all the years of nursing the sick and performing life-saving operations, and it was he who had needed the Doctor most of all. God had been that doctor he so desperately needed, and had prescribed for him Christy to take away the pain.

The thought of his wife being the perfect medicine for his broken heart caused a smile to come to his face and Christy, sitting in the parlor next to him, noticed it.

"What's so funny?" She asked curiously. He shook his head, but knew that answer wouldn't satisfy her. It didn't. She just continued to stare at him.

Good, he thought, she's taken the bait.

"No, please. Tell me." She said, and he started laughing. He loved the look she was giving him, and he loved her. The last four days, ever since her near death experience, he had watched her sadly, wishing he could make her smile, or laugh, or do something that showed she was the old Christy again. Now she was curious. He decided to play this one for as long as he could. "Tell you what?" He asked innocently, a look of mirth shining brightly in his eyes. She paused for a moment, and for the first time in four long days he saw a faint glimmer of a smile spread across her lips. And instead of disappearing, it grew.

"Neil MacNeill, you tell me this instant!" She said with that beautiful smile on her face. He looked at her and decided that she had never looked more lovely. Her eyes were sparkling with that childlike impatience that he adored in her, and her body was once again strong willed and determined as he made her wait.

"If you must know" he said, hooking a strong arm around her waist and drawing her in to him. Her face was inches away from his as he bent down and whispered in her ear.

"You're God's medicine." He said, drawing his head back and waiting for her reaction. Her eyes clouded with temporary confusion.

"What?" She asked, barely above a whisper. A strand of hair had come loose from her bun and curled temptingly down the side of her face, but he decided to resist the urge to reach up and push it back. For now.

"God sent you to me because He needed to fix my broken heart." He said, smiling wide as he saw the understanding enter her eyes. She smiled delightfully for a moment, but then became serious again.

"But you've got that all wrong, doctor." She said, reaching up to caress his cheek. He raised an eyebrow in a questioning glance.

"I think the Great Physician knew how selfish and spoiled I was, and knew that you, you stubborn Scott, could fix that." He smiled tenderly and leaned down to kiss her. Christy allowed herself to be kissed, giving in fully to him. She heard Miss Alice still busy in the kitchen and realized that they were in no hurry. His kiss became more passionate and he drew her to him, holding the back of her head with one of his hands, arm supporting her back. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and yielding to his kiss even more. She leaned down to let the sofa support her and he followed, kissing her firmly the whole time. The two would like to have done more, but alas, they were not in their own cabin. This would have to do... for now.

When the two pulled away, the brilliant flame he had seen from the first day he met Christy was back in her eyes, and as she looked up at him he could see her deep love and devotion for him. He silently thanked the Father for giving him such a wonderful life.

"I love you." He said softly, sitting back up and pulling her with him.

"I love you too Neil." She responded, taking his hand and squeezing it gently, still slightly breathless from their passionate kiss. He smiled and winked at her as Miss Alice came back in with a tray full of cookies, oblivious to what had just gone on. All the older woman knew was the coy looks she saw between the couple as they sat in the parlor, and the crimson color to Christy's cheeks... not to mention her tale-tell smile... and she felt like laughing at the two.

"Christy, has thee given any more thought to your garden?" Alice asked the younger woman as she lifted a cup of tea to her lips and drank. Christy's cheeks were still glowing as she smiled and reached for a cookie.

"Well, I think I will have a vegetable garden, for canning and things like that, and then I'd like an herb garden. I still plan to go along with my original idea." She said. Alice nodded encouragingly.

"A fine idea, I think it will do quite well." She agreed.

"I got the idea, actually, from your cabin. Using the natural beauty of Cutter Gap to build your cabin was a brilliant idea, and I'm hoping that by teaching the women of the cove how to use herbs like rosemary and thyme in their cooking, they can give their families better food." She said enthusiastically. It had been a plan of hers since she and Fairlight had come up with the delicious recipes to replace the normal ones using everyday ingredients found in the Cove, but now Christy felt like she could finally put it into action. And with her herbs, she could easily give the women little shoots to transplant to their own gardens.

Miss Alice was smiling at the couple on the sofa. Neil held his hand around Christy's waist and she in turn sat right beside him.

Newlyweds, she thought with a grin. A sudden clap of thunder startled her, making her look out the window. At some point during their conversation, a storm had rolled in. Now the skies were darkening and the wind picking up. It was going to be a big thunderstorm.

"Neil, did thee say that thee was planning on traveling to El Pano?" Alice asked. Neil nodded, and looked at Christy.

"Aye, and my bonnie lass here will be accompanying me." He said with a grin. Christy blushed, and she was certain that both had seen it.

"I agreed to take her with me. I don't want her alone, and this will give me company on the way out there." He finished. Christy smiled happily, glad that she would be going with him. She didn't like being treated like a baby but at the same time the idea of those men coming back a third time terrified her.

"I'll be able to get my seeds then, too." Christy added. "That way when the warm weather finally decides to stay, I'll be ready to plant." Miss Alice chuckled as Miss Ida came in through the back door.

"I hear you and agree, Mrs. MacNeill, but you must have patience. Winter holds a bitter grudge about leaving this place, and so she does so reluctantly." Alice said.

"Very reluctantly." Christy agreed. Both Alice and Neil laughed at her impatience.

"I was planning on going to El Pano the first of next month. That way, the ground still won't be thawed but the temperature will be a little bit more bearable." Neil said. Christy leaned into him happily, feeling safe and secure with him. The first of next month, she thought as she snuggled into him. That was only a week away.

A severe pounding on the front door made Christy jump slightly, and Neil instinctively wrapped his arms around her protectively. Miss Ida had gone out back to bring in her laundry from the clothes lines and so Miss Alice went to answer it.

"Whoever it is you can stop pounding." She said, quickly opening the door back to reveal Rob Allen, breathless from running.

"Rob? What is it?" Miss Alice asked, looking him over in concern. His coat shoulders were already sopping wet and so was his hair. Neil had already stood up from the sofa.

"Is Doc here?" He asked, looking around. Miss Alice let him in and he came over to Neil and Christy, panting and wild eyed. Alice looked at the young man with concern as he addressed the doctor.

"Doc, ya gots to come. Accident over at the Spenser's, Bessie's been struck by a falling tree." He said in between breaths. Neil was instantly by the door, taking his coat down from the rack and shoving his arms into it. Christy had gotten up too and was doing the same.

"No you don't. Not in this cold weather, I want you to stay with Alice." He said, but she shook her head stubbornly.

"You might need help, and I intend to give it." She replied, images of Bessie Spenser being hurt filling her head and heart. She continued buttoning her coat and Neil wavered for a moment between his choices. It would be nice to have her along, though at the same time, with the recent startling events her immune system was still weak, and that could mean big trouble if they were to get caught out in this thunderstorm.

Realizing they didn't have much time, he agreed reluctantly. Alice would be staying at the mission and, she assured them, praying hard. Neil looked over at Rob, who was still waiting for their response, and nodded once.

"Tell John that we're on our way." He said, reaching down to button one of the buttons on Christy's coat that she had forgotten. With that the young man bravely made a dash out the door and started running back to John and Bessie's cabin.

"Let's go." He said, and left the mission house. Christy followed behind him, and as she reached the porch she momentarily had second thoughts about leaving. A steady sheet of rain was soaking everything, including Charlie, who now resembled a dark bay instead of a chestnut. The rain was occasionally blown horizontally by strong gusts of wind that would pick up, only to die down moments later. This process repeated itself four times alone as Christy left the mission porch and swung up into the saddle behind Neil.

The rain always gave the air an eerie, unnatural look. The trees and ground around them was a dull gray, as if all the color had been drained out of it. The air was very cold and Christy soon found her teeth chattering. She kept her arms wrapped firmly around Neil's waist and fervently wished that the rain would stop. It kept falling down on them in huge, insistent sheets that seemed angry, pushing them and Charlie into the earth as they rode along at a frightening speed. Christy kept thinking of Bessie Spenser, John's wife, and the thought of this former pupil of hers being hurt made her feel sick inside. What would they see when they got there? Her overactive imagination began playing gruesome images in her head until she shut them all out... it would do her no good. Instead she prayed.

Lord, please let nothing happen to this young couple. She prayed silently, thinking of the happy pair who had been married now for almost five months.

The rain was relentless and Christy's breath was coming out in white puffs. She began shivering involuntarily and Neil, feeling his wife behind him, reached back and took her hand.

"Not too much farther." He said, practically yelling because of the roaring noise made by the rain. They were both now soaked and made a pitiful sight. Neil's shirt clung to his body, which was wet and cold, and his curly hair clung to his forehead and ears. Christy fared no better, her dress sopping wet and the ends of her hair dripping cold water onto her already soaked shoulders. Clenching her jaw tight against the bitter cold rain, she leaned into Neil, resting her cheek on his sopping wet shirt and closing her eyes. Still the rain poured, running in wide, frantic trails down her eyelids and face.

Christy could hear and feel nothing but the constant roaring of the rain, Neil's strong shoulders, and the saddle underneath her. Her hands still clung around his waist but they were too cold to be felt anymore. The smells of wet leather and wet horse were overpowering, and she found herself wishing that they were at the cabin.

Christy decided to find a way to distract herself from the freezing weather. She glanced down at the trail they were on, and saw tiny streams of water already running under and in front of Charlie, slowing his progress down. John and Bessie's cabin was much farther away than Jeb's, almost at the bottom of the mountain. John had chosen the spot to build their cabin because Bessie had once claimed it was the most beautiful spot she had ever seen.

How quickly storms come in these mountains. She thought, remembering another stormy incident that happened last year. Neil and Christy had been out on a picnic when a sudden storm caught them both by surprise. Running for shelter until the thick of it passed, they came upon an abandoned cabin and were forced to spend the night there. Neil had built a fire and insisted that Christy sit in front of it and get dry. And they had kissed... how nice. She smiled faintly, rain water running over her lips and down into her mouth as she did so.

He's always so protective of me... She thought, cheek still pressed against Neil's back.

"How are you doing?" He asked her, not looking back.

"What?" She yelled over the roar of the rain.

"How are you doing?" He repeated, much louder this time. It still sounded like he was barely whispering.

"Okay, though I'd like to get out of this rain!" She replied honestly. He nodded and reached down to hold her hand. He rubbed it in between his fingers and she knew he was trying to warm her up. She could barely feel his rubbing though, she could barely feel her own hands and arms.

"Almost there!" He shouted, and looking around at her environment, she knew he was right. Just this last descent... she watched and felt in alarm as Charlie made his way down the steep path. The path, ordinarily was dirt and so there wasn't anything to worry about, but with a rain like this one... Charlie's hooves slipped once or twice as he made his way down, and Christy's body stiffened as she feared what might happen. Thankfully, however, Neil was an excellent horseman, and very calm and confident, much more so than Christy. He gave Charlie the reins and sat back, telling Christy to do the same. Her grip around Neil tightened as she hesitantly obeyed.

The rain lightened up a little as they made their way down the hillside, and already the Spenser's cabin was in view.

Sitting on a flat piece of earth that always managed to get sunlight in good weather, the cabin had always seemed cheerful. It's typical boxwood clumps and even a sparse flower or two grew contentedly around the frame of the little log cabin, and normally everything here seemed to glow. But today, with the knowledge of what they might face inside the cabin, Christy didn't see much worth rejoicing over. Her mind kept going to Bessie, and John - who loved his wife dearly and would be absolutely heartbroken if anything happened to her. Christy could only trust God and her husband's healing to treat whatever injury had befallen the girl.

Neil trotted Charlie up to the front door, and swung down. He tied Charlie to a tree out front as Christy climbed down and went to the door. John instantly opened it, even before she had knocked. He had a panicked look on his boyish face, and Christy found herself clinging to hope as she entered with her husband right behind her.

The cabin they entered was dark, with the exception of a tiny oil lamp lit in the corner, and as usual Christy had to let her eyes adjust to this dim interior. The Spenser's cabin only had one window in it, and this was on the opposite side from which Bessie lay.

Neil instantly made his way over to the girl's bed and knelt down beside her. Christy followed and as she got closer she noted the look of anguish on Bessie's fair features. She could only pray that things would be alright.

**Author's Note: As always, R&R! What'd ya think? A note on Christy and Neil: They are husband and wife, and I expect that they are very passionate about being so. So, use your imagination... you'll probably guess right. Though I will definitely suggest what they do, and you will all know what goes on with them (on a regular basis ;),) I shall keep my writing chaste. :-)**


	16. The Greatest of These

Chapter 15

The Greatest of These

"Please Doc, make it stop hurtin'" Bessie cried, pleading with him like a wounded animal. Lifting the covers back from her chest gently, Neil's look was grave as he surveyed her chest. A huge, ugly red slash ripped flesh from her left shoulder down to her lower right abdomen, and a pale greenish, watery-like pus had already developed inside. She was bleeding a lot. Neil reached in his medical bag and pulled out some clean rags and other instruments.

"John?" He asked, not looking away from Bessie's wounds as he tried to stop the blood flow.

"Yes?" John asked instantly, coming forward with a willing expression on his face. Christy had never seen the young man so worried.

"Can you get me some water, and start it boiling?" He asked. Immediately the young husband left to do as he asked. Christy swallowed hard and came over to Bessie, taking her hand and trying to soothe the frightened girl. The pus and blood for whatever reason did not make her feel ill, only made her more desperate to help.

"Bessie, Neil's going to fix you up good." She said, looking over at her husband for a sign of hope. His face, however, did not look up as he surveyed her chest and abdomen. Numerous scrapes and gashes colored Bessie's flesh and there was already an ugly looking bruise forming on her stomach. Neil gently applied pressure to the area with his the rag to stop the bleeding, and Bessie winched in pain, squeezing Christy's hand hard. After more examination, Neil stood up, pulled the covers back over his patient and looked at her gently.

"Bessie, I'll be right back." He said, catching Christy's eye as he stood. He motioned her off to a corner in the cabin.

"She has internal injuries, I'll have to operate. When John gets the water boiling I'll need you to sterilize the instruments. Remember what I taught you?" He asked seriously. She nodded confidently, and he seemed relieved. Bessie needed Neil, and Neil needed her. Christy could not afford to fail him now.

John returned with the water and Christy helped him get it into pans and on the stove to heat. Neil explained what he would need to do for Bessie and John just looked at him gravely, nodding occasionally to show his understanding. Christy felt sick for him, and his young wife. When Neil left the cabin to get some more supplies from his saddle bag, Christy followed. Once she had closed the door she turned to him.

"How bad is she?" She asked, looking at him with concern. He hesitated for a moment before looking up at her.

"I won't know the full damage until I've opened her up, but it may be very serious." He said, face hardening in worry. Christy bit her lip, afraid for the young couple and what they might face when a sudden cry from inside the cabin got her attention. Both she and Neil rushed in and over to Bessie's bed. Neil put his hand on her forehead, checked her pulse again, and went over basic vital signs. Christy took her husband's metal instruments over to the water on the stove that was now boiling. Carefully she put them in, then returned to Neil's side. John was kneeling down at Bessie's head, holding her hand firmly with a look on his face that bordered tears.

"What happened?" Neil asked as he scrubbed his own hands, preparing for surgery. Christy began to wash up too.

"We had been caught in the storm, up there on the mountain by Crik's Holler." Neil nodded, familiar with the spot.

"We decided to make it back to our cabin and the wind picked up. There was a dead tree just standing on the side of the mountain and as we came down it toppled over..." John trailed off, tears in his eyes.

"Doc, please help her." He said, and Christy had a feeling she knew what he was thinking. The image of his beloved mother and her best friend came back to her now. The woman was lying gracefully on the bed when John and Jeb got home... Christy had never seen anything more heartbreaking.

When the instruments were sterilized and as Neil turned his back to getting out some last minute medical supplies, Christy held the ether over Bessie's face. Soon the hand that John was holding went limp, and Neil as compassionately as he could told the young husband to wait on the other side of the room until he was finished. As he made the first incision, Christy thanked God for her husband's knowledge, and thanked Him for allowing her to become Neil's wife. What if, she wondered, she hadn't decided to accept Dr. Ferrand's invitation. She would have never seen Cutter Gap, never met Miss Alice, and never had the chance to spiritually grow. And, horribly, she would have never met Neil. Her Scottish knight in shining armor, the man who was working to save Bessie Spenser's life.

As she assisted her husband with the instruments, she occasionally glanced down at the sleeping woman. Bessie Spenser, barely eighteen, and already she was considered, in the Cove's standards as well as Christy's, to be a woman. Her soft brown hair framed her still face as she slept in her drug-induced state of unconsciousness.

Christy looked at Bessie's innards, now visible. What once would have made her grow faint and weak now only emboldened her to work harder. Christy and Neil stood side by side as they worked, she acting as the nurse while he was sewing Bessie up, cleaning when needed. There was a lot of blood, Christy thought with concern, then saw the reason. The tree that fell on Bessie had cracked several ribs, and tore her stomach. Tears welled up in Christy's eyes as she thought of the pain that Bessie must have been in before they arrived.

As Neil worked and Christy waited on him, John kept a silent vigil on the other side of the room, praying that things would work out and crying for his love. The room was so tension filled that Christy felt suffocated by it. She held a lamp for Neil to see better with, moving it when and where he directed and taking it away when told to do so. The shadows outside the cabin grew darker as the storm clouds increased, and so Neil was relying on the light from the lamp more and more.

The surgery took nearly an hour to complete, but when it was all done, Neil seemed substantially less worried. Neil and Christy spent the night at the Spenser's house, and it was a sleepless night for both of them. One of them at all times kept vigil over the wounded girl, periodically checking her vital signs to make sure she was doing alright.

The next morning Bessie woke up. Christy had never seen John so elated, and it almost broke her heart to see how attentive he was to his wife. Neil checked Bessie and then, in her hearing, turned to John.

"She absolutely cannot move around, or those stitches might tear inside, causing internal bleeding that could kill her." He said. John winced, but nodded his understanding. Neil then turned to Bessie,

"You understand? Nothing. John will have to get everything you need for at least a week. I'll be back in a few days to check your progress." He spoke gently but firmly. Bessie nodded her head gently before closing her eyes again. In a moment she was asleep, and Neil, Christy, and John walked out to the front porch. The rain had stopped for the time being though the sky above looked threatening, like it might start again. Rain dripped off of water-saturated trees into large puddles on the ground, which was soft and spongy. There was mud everywhere.

"How is she Doc?" John asked when they had closed the cabin door.

"She has a chance if she and you both do what I tell you." He said slowly, groping for more optimistic news. But John seemed to take this as a good sign and let out one long breath.

"Thank you so much Doc, you've repaid me more than I deserve." He said, meeting Neil's eyes, then turning to Christy.

"Thank you, too Ma'am." He said, and then turned to go inside.

Neil watched him go and then turned to Christy.

"Ready to go?" He asked her, she nodded sleepily, muscles aching from a combination of the cold weather yesterday, her cold, stiff dress that she had worn since yesterday morning, and her tense vigil the night before. Neil pulled himself up in the saddle and she started to climb up behind him but he stopped her.

"No, in front." He commanded gently. Christy, too tired to object, grabbed onto the saddle horn with one hand and Neil's hand with the other. She slipped but his strong hand was instantly around her arm. He pulled her up and rested her comfortably in front of him. She leaned back against him but he remained tense.

"When we get home, I want to examine you." He said quietly.

"Don't you have enough to worry about without adding me to your list?" She argued gently. But he shook his head.

"I'm serious. With all you've been through recently, that little trek in the rain and lack of sleep might not have been a wise idea." He said, silently scolding himself mercilessly. He should have been more firm about not letting her come, she really shouldn't have. Then again, he thought, it was nice to have her with him, as always, and if she had been left at the mission house she probably would have wore herself out pacing the floor.

Hmph, he thought, stubborn as always.

"Neil?" His wife's gentle voice brought him back to the present.

"Yes, love?" He answered.

"I think you were great. Bessie will pull through, won't she?" Christy asked with both concern and admiration.

"She should, barring any infections or other complications." He said quietly. Christy realized this was the best answer she would get for now and leaned herself back into Neil's arms.

Now that they were in no hurry, Neil allowed Charlie to saunter along lazily, and Christy found that fighting the urge to sleep was hard as Charlie rocked her back and forth.

Neil reached up with a gentle caress and stroked his wife's hair, thinking of all she had been through in the past few months. The mystery surrounding her capture still bothered him and he found himself beginning to doubt God's faithfulness.

No, He'll always be here for us. He saved me from eternal damnation, He saved Christy from death not once, but three times... He'll protect us. He thought, and then turned his feelings into a silent prayer.

Lord, forgive me for doubting You. Please protect us now and protect Bessie and John. Do with us, and them, as You will. Thank you for loving a person like me. Amen.

"Christy?" He began. There was no answer. He looked down and noticed she was asleep, laying her head on his shoulder. Neil smiled and positioned himself so that she could be more comfortable, then wrapped an arm protectively around her to hold her to him.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful. Neil stopped Charlie in front of their cabin and climbed down, reaching up and taking Christy in his arms. She was so small, so seemingly fragile and she had been through so much recently that it hurt him to think of it. Carrying her in his arms he walked upstairs and laid her down on their bed. After taking off both of their wet clothes, he laid down beside her and fell into a fitful sleep that did not end well.

He saw Christy about a hundred yards to his right, laying on her stomach, by the river in a pool of blood. She was holding one of her hands over her chest where most of the blood was pouring from. He saw her hands in the moonlight, and was appalled to see how white and ghostly they were. Neil ran over to her and gently pried her fingers away, then gasped at what he saw. A bullet hole straight through her heart. She weakly managed to look up into his eyes one last time before lowering her head in death...

Neil almost jumped in bed, which caused Christy beside him to stir in her sleep. He was sweating and had the odd sensation of being cold and hot at the same time. He looked over in alarm at the angelic form sleeping beside him. She was absolutely fine, and apparently content to be so close to her husband. Slowly his heavy breathing resided as he allowed his head to rest back against his pillow. A nightmare? He didn't usually dream, and the last time he could recall having nightmares was as a small boy in his parent's home. So, what was that all about?

They said that the dreams were your mind's unconscious response to your own worst fears. He glanced down at Christy again. She was sleeping on her side facing him, arms bent near her chest and hands laying under her cheek as she rested, breathing in and out steadily. Her delicate eyelids and lashes were very inviting. He decided to go for it, and laid gentle kisses on both her eyelids. Then he leaned back and watched her some as she slept.

My worst fear... Was that just a simple case of an over-active imagination?

Lord, is she in danger here? And why? Please, I need your help. He couldn't imagine losing his wife, the woman he had fallen in love with from almost first sight. Even now, the thought of anything horrible happening to her made him feel like a heavy weight had been placed on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Sitting up gently so as not to wake Christy, he stood up and crossed the room to where his clothes were kept. Getting dressed quickly he made his way down the stairs and out to the front porch. He needed to think.

The cool mountain air drifted through the hills and across the porch, bringing with it the faintest promise of warm weather. He leaned his back against the cabin wall, still reliving the awful nightmare he had just had. He lifted a hand to his chest and rubbed at the deep thudding in his heart, and rested his head on the wall behind him for a moment. He looked out over the beautiful mountain landscape that could be seen from this view, remembering that the one Christy had enjoyed at the mission was more impressive. The feeling of dead weight on his chest slowly resided, and in its place was a terrible, hollow-feeling fear of the unknown.

What if she gets killed? They've gotten her twice now, what if next time...

"Neil?" A slight touch on his arm followed by the silky voice made him look down. It was Christy, hand on his forearm, looking up into his eyes with concern and sadness. She had slipped on her nightgown and had wrapped a shawl loosely around her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly, and at the moment he found her voice as refreshing as a cool mountain stream. Her eyes shone brightly in the pre-dawn gray sky, and he found himself reaching up to caress her face.

"Did I wake you?" He asked thoughtfully, though he was really glad to have her with him right now. She glanced down at the floor and then back up to him.

"You were having a nightmare" she said quietly. "I felt your body trembling." Her eyes were moist. He attempted a smile and then reached up, taking her hand and pulling her into an embrace. He laid his cheek on the top of her head and breathed in deeply. He found the familiar aroma pleasing and calming.

"Neil?" Christy began, after a few moments. "What were you dreaming about?" She asked him, still laying her head on his chest.

"It... it's not really something I want to -" he began, but them stopped himself.

"Something awful had happened... to you." He croaked out the last words, and Christy could tell by his tightening grip around her body that he was upset. She laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, trying to soothe him.

"Whatever it was, it's over. It was just a nightmare."

"How do I know, Christy? How do I know it won't become real?" He asked in exasperation, pulling back from her and walking over to the front steps. Christy came up behind him gently, but he didn't meet her gaze. She followed his eyes and saw that he was looking at the river. The river that had brought them such comfort and joy even in the short time that they had been man and wife. But today it seemed to bring him no comfort. She saw that his eyes were red rimmed and misty.

"Neil, listen to me. You can't control everything." She paused, searching his face to determine his frame of mind.

"Remember that God promised to never leave or forsake us." She reminded him gently, rubbing his forearm with one hand and laying her head on his back. He liked the feeling, enjoyed having her with him, and didn't want her to leave. But doubts had already begun to spring in his new-found faith. He wanted to banish them all, but he found his resolve weakening. Turning to Christy, he smiled gently for her sake.

"I know, love. I just don't want to lose you." He said, reaching out with his thumb and caressing her cheek. She smiled up at him sweetly, then reached over to his other hand and took it in hers.

"You won't." She said, determination and love on her face as she stared boldly into his eyes. She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it gently, willing him to somehow see that everything would be okay.

**Author's Note: I just LOVE Neil/Christy... can't you tell? Am I doing Neil right? To me, he seemed like a gentleman who would put his friends and family before himself, both in the books and the TV series. Let me know if I start to get off track, as I'm still new to this whole writing thing.**


	17. A Life Worth Living

Chapter 16

A Life Worth Living

Christy woke up to the birds singing sweetly all around her, a large symphony heralding the arrival of spring. She smiled lovingly at the thought. She would have a garden, and a year to tend it. She would teach the children and they would go on nature hikes through the woods, pointing out plants they knew and collecting pieces of the ones they didn't for examination with Neil's microscope. And, best of all, she would get to spend her first summer as Neil's wife.

There was something special about this particular day, but she didn't know what it was. She tried to remember, oh yes, that was it! Today was the day that she and Neil were leaving for El Pano. Happy thought, she could get the seeds for her garden and some of the cooking things she had had to do without. She could get some decent pots and pans, for one...

She pushed back the covers and sat up in bed. A unexplainable wave of nausea made her rethink her decision.

_There it goes again. _She thought, laying a hand on her stomach and swallowing hard. She had had these feelings the past few mornings and part of her had almost told Neil. But then she thought that he might decide to postpone their trip to El Pano in the event she was getting sick, and she couldn't bear that thought. She needed to go out with her husband, it would be fun and besides, she was only sick in the mornings. By late afternoon all the feelings had passed. She forced herself out of the bed and over to her wooden chest to find some clothes.

She could hear Neil downstairs and could smell the eggs he was cooking. He was so sweet, she thought. So very domestic at times, and yet definitely all man. She didn't feel hungry at all this morning, but she decided to be polite anyway, so after dressing and combing out her hair she went downstairs. Neil was standing in the kitchen, happily monitoring the frying eggs in front of him. The greasy smell wafted up to Christy's nose, and she felt another attack of nausea. This time she sat down, at the table, and inhaled deeply to control her stomachs' urging.

"Good morning Christy" Neil greeted her, back still turned to her as he lifted the eggs onto a plate.

"Morning" She tried to sound cheerful, but he could detect the sound in her voice. He put the plate of eggs down and turned to face her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, coming over to kneel down beside her. He gently felt her forehead and the back of her neck. She smiled weakly, still feeling sick over the smell of the eggs, and tried to answer. Suddenly an intense wave hit her and she knew she was going to be sick. Stammering out an excuse she pushed back her chair and fled the table, barely making it out the front door before she was forcefully sick.

A moment later she felt Neil's strong hands supporting her as her stomach emptied itself. One hand supported her head and the other rubbed her back gently until the wave passed. He whispered words of love to her as he sat with both patience and concern, until she could speak again. Weakly she pushed herself back up, and Neil helped her to lean back on him. He had a cloth in his hand and he gently wiped her mouth with it.

"Christy" He said, voice full of concern. "Let's get you inside" he said, scooping her up in his arms and taking her inside.

_Oh no. _She thought, sudden tears coming to her eyes. _We won't go to El Pano because of me. _And then she stopped herself. _There's no need to get so emotional, what's wrong with you anyways? _She thought as her husband gently leaned down and laid her on top of their covers. She noted the confusion, and concern, in his eyes as his hands slid out from under her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked seriously, doctor's eyes never leaving her face.

_Oh great, _she thought, realizing she'd have to spill everything.

"I, I don't know. I feel like I could be sick again." She replied, and she knew she was telling the truth. She felt like if she stood up right then, it would be all over. She breathed in fresh air and swallowed in an attempt to keep what little remained in her stomach. Neil looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

"No one is sick without a reason, let me get my medical bag." He said, then left hurriedly. When he came back into the room he began the usual, checking her pulse, asking her a few more questions about how she felt, or had been feeling, the past couple of days. Then he paused, and a strange, almost hopeful expression came into his eyes. He asked her a few questions about her feminine concerns, then listened to her heart.

His examination was thorough and took most of the morning, and about half way through it he began smiling. Christy noticed it and looked at him strangely for a moment before getting suspicious.

"Dr. MacNeill?" She asked, in her best "patient" tone. He just continued working, but the smile on his face grew bigger.

_It couldn't be... _

"I hope I know what it is that you're thinking, but I can't be sure unless you tell me." She said, beginning to get excited despite herself.

"I apologize for the greasy smell of the eggs this morning love, I should have guessed it would make you ill. Morning sickness usually does that to a person." Here he could no longer control himself and looked up at her to see her reaction. He saw a flash of confusion, followed by shock, followed by the most intense look of joy on her face that he had ever seen. She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Neil MacNeill, you tell me right now." She said breathlessly, finding it hard to sit still. Her eyes were intensely focused, watching his every move as he casually packed his instruments up.

"No need to tell you, Mrs. MacNeill, you'll find out for yourself here in about... I'd say, nine months." He said, then laughed at her expression. Her eyes lit up brilliantly as she threw herself into her husband's arms, laughing joyously.

"We're going to have a baby!" She cried, hugging Neil's neck and laughing harder. Shortly after she had launched herself into his arms, he began laughing too, and soon enough their cabin shook with the sound.

"Yes, a baby. I can't wait to see him." Neil said, looking at his wife with love and wonder in his eyes. She smiled at him playfully.

"Or _her_" she teased, and then smiled wide. She still felt nauseous, but this news was so exciting that she could force herself to put it behind her, for this brief moment anyway.

"I knew I was late, and I don't know why I didn't suspect..." she began, but Neil silenced her by putting a finger to her lips.

"What matters now is that you're carrying our baby and that's cause enough to celebrate. I want you to take it easy, though. Ride to the schoolhouse on Buttons instead of walking each day." He said gently but firmly. She rolled her eyes, but she was in actuality enjoying it.

_Here it goes. _She thought, and couldn't help but giggle. Neil leaned in and kissed her gently before standing up, a look of pure bliss on his face as he looked down at his wife, who sat on the bed looking up at him, eyes shining and a beautiful smile on her lovely face. Then her eyes grew thoughtful.

"Neil?" Christy asked, swinging her legs around and sitting on the corner of the bed.

"Can we still go to El Pano?" She asked hopefully. Neil eyed her playfully, an amused expression coming to his face.

"Absolutely, in fact, the fresh air will do us both good. But this means you have to obey my orders. I don't want you lifting anything heavy, or doing any other strenuous work. I'll saddle Buttons after lunch, and we'll take her." He paused, "Charlie needs the rest, he's beginning to get as old as his master." He smiled, and Christy made a face at him. He laughed and shook his head, walking over to the stairs.

"I'll just pack us some food for our lunch. We'll probably stay the night so bring some extra clothes. Let me know when you have your things packed and I'll come carry it." He said with a smile and wink. Christy hurriedly threw together some things she would need for the day, a slight blush creeping to her cheeks as she remembered his coy wink.

_Yes, _she thought happily, _married life suits me just fine._

The trip to El Pano was calm and uneventful. Christy watched her surroundings as she rode, thinking back to the time she had made this walk with Ben Pentland in the snow. Seven long miles with those silly "ice pick shoes" - as David had called them. Suddenly she began wondering where David was, and why he hadn't written to anyone at the mission. Dr. Ferrand had sent a new preacher several months back and so those at the mission were left wondering if David were gone for good. Of course the new preacher was nice. Robert Hulbert, a twenty-five year old young man with thick, blonde hair and impressive green eyes, had at first been met with the usual skepticism in the Cove, but soon after preaching in the pulpit he became regarded as a "real good preacher-parson."

The day was beautiful and the air had begun to grow warmer, signs of spring were everywhere. While still cold, it had already gotten better, and Christy saw the upcoming summer days approaching fast. She looked forward to planting her gardens.

She looked down at Neil as she rode, he walking in front of them. As he had said to her before leaving, "Buttons is too small for both of us and our luggage." She had tried protesting, but it was no use. That stubborn Scottish streak in him would not give in, and so she had decided to let the matter be.

Now, though, she felt a little guilty about riding while he walked, leading Buttons who in turn was carrying her and their child. Her hand instinctively fell to her abdomen, and she couldn't help but smile.

_Our baby... Neil's and mine. _It was certainly not a surprise, she thought, blushing ridiculously. Before she could stop it, she giggled.

"What has made you so giddy? Is it the fact that you don't have to walk to El Pano?" Neil teased. She felt like sticking her tongue out at him like a little child, but reined those emotions in. Instead she crossed her arms across her chest and pretended to pout.

"Don't forget, Doctor, that is was _you _who came up with this arrangement, despite _my_ protests." He laughed, and though she couldn't see his face, she knew what he looked like. She knew what his look of mirth was like, and at the moment, she wished she could see it.

"That I did lass, and I shan't take back my order now." He said humorously.

"It's not fair to you, I can walk you know." He stopped Buttons and turned around to look at his wife with an amused expression.

"Who's the doctor here?" He asked, and she grinned shyly.

"You are, and I'm quite blessed to have such a good one. But please, just for a little ways... I'm tired of sitting." She begged. She could see him weakening and decided to wait silently while he contemplated it.

"Alright, but I don't want you pushing yourself, so right back on Buttons as soon as you're tired, understand?" He said gently. She nodded eagerly and reached for Neil's hand as he helped her down. Right now it was no problem, Neil had estimated her at around two weeks pregnant so she was still far away from developing a protruding belly. But in a few months, she knew, simple things like climbing on and off a horse would be hard to do.

As she and Neil started walking forward again, one on each side of Buttons, they spoke little, other than the usual banter. But it wasn't like the silences she had experienced with David, the awkward, embarrassing silence where no one could find anything else to say. She felt perfectly content during these silences, knowing that Neil felt the same. Another half of an hour and Neil insisted that she ride Buttons again, and another hour of steady walking and riding brought them to the outskirts of El Pano.

The first thing Neil did was to find them a place to spend the night. While he went inside the hotel to talk with the manager Christy stayed outside with Buttons, looking around and watching the people go by.

_So busy... _she thought _why is everyone bustling around so much? They don't even take the time to enjoy themselves... just darting here and there like bees that have had their hive ripped open._

She stood next to Buttons, stroking the horses soft jaw that was still overly furry from the cold weather. Buttons nickered softly and turned to face her mistress, brown liquid eyes glimmering with intelligence.

"Good girl" Christy whispered, reaching up to rub behind the horse's ear.

Christy watched a few people as they walked past, some men folk

acknowledging her with courteous tips of their wide brimmed hats, the women smiling politely, or enviously. As ten minutes stretched into fifteen, Christy leaned her head into Button's neck, breathing in deeply of the rich horse scent. It was always a comforting scent and ever since she had met Charlie, Goldie and Prince, she had always enjoyed it.

As her eyes scanned the crowd of people, there was one sight that for some reason did not set well with her. An average looking man was standing out front of the saloon, directly across the street from the hotel. He was just standing with his back slightly leaning against the saloon front wall behind him, and he had his arms crossed against his chest, but other than that he looked normal. So normal, in fact, that she wondered why she felt unsure whenever she saw him.

"Having fun, are we?" She heard the rich brogue to her left. She

looked up and smiled. He smiled back and nodded towards the general store. She risked a quick glance back towards the saloon to see the man again, but he was no longer there. She mentally shrugged and turned back to face her husband. He wore a curious expression on his face as his eyes had followed hers, but he decided, thankfully, not to comment.

"Ready to go?" He asked. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Ready for the walk, er... _ride_, back." She replied. He smiled and reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Always impatient, aren't you? Tomorrow we'll leave."

"Can I walk? I promise I'll go easy." She begged, looking at him with eyes that she hoped were big and baleful. He hesitated a moment, then with an exaggerated sigh gave in and nodded. She smiled and stood up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, completely forgetting about the people all around them. She pulled back and looked slightly flushed, but Neil just smiled and pulled her forward with him.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, guys. As always, review! I love reviews and try to wait to post the next chapter until all my regulars have reviewed... it makes me so happy!**


	18. Hard Remembrance

Chapter 17

Hard Remembrance

The MacNeills stayed overnight at the hotel in El Pano, a lavishly decorated building that reminded Christy somewhat of her old home in Asheville. Still reminiscent of the old west, it nevertheless held finer things than she had been accustomed to in Cutter Gap. From the moment Christy had entered their room, her eyes widened. She felt like a little girl in the candy store all over again, filled with wonder and awe. As she entered on the heels of her husband, the first thing she noticed was the bed... their bed. A small smile crept to her face at that thought. The bed itself was positioned to the right of the door, facing the opposite wall with a homely elegance. It's intricately carved, deep mahogany colored posts and delicately painted cluster of violets at the headboard was lovely. The silk sheets and matching covers for the pillows were a luscious green, in Christy's mind the color of the deepest, most secret part of Cutter Gap's heart.

The bed looked so inviting that for a moment she wanted to curl up underneath the sheets, sinking into her Neil's strong arms and forget the world. But curiosity, as always, had a way of distracting her, and she found her eyes drawn to other aspects of the room. The floor was a dark colored wood, with a large oval rug that took up most of the floor space and looked absolutely luxurious. Her eyes followed the rug over the wall facing them on the opposite side of the room, and then impetuously flowed around the room. A large window made up of tiny panels of glass covered nearly the entire wall directly in front of them, giving them a good view of the busiest part of town. Surrounded by a muslin-like checked material picking up on the purples, greens, reds and yellows of the rug, it matched perfectly. Tucked away in the corner to her left was a large, standing oval mirror with a brass metal frame. A small closet next to this could hold luggage and clothes for the duration of the travelers stay. After the closet, almost hidden from view by the door they had swung open, was a little vanity that matched perfectly the color scheme of the bed, including a silken green-covered cushion for the seat, and matching violets painted on the vanity.

"I thought that Christy Huddleston was too fine for the likes of this poorly clad room." Neil teased, a twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes. Christy grinned and swatted his arm playfully. She smiled at his chuckle and quietly made her way over to the window. Finding it irresistible, she reached up and felt of the curtain, finding it to be as soft as the covers on the bed looked. The outside town was still as busy now as it was earlier... people bustling about, many with arms laden with store goods or brown packages. horses, buggies, wagons, people; so many people. She realized that during her stay at Cutter Gap she had developed an appreciation for the quiet simplicity of nature, and now that she was back in "civilization" the sights and sounds were overloading her senses. She shook her head and smiled, turning away from the craziness and back to her husband. He opened up his arms and she stepped into his embrace, hugging him fiercely around his waist before stepping back.

"Can we go see the town? I don't think I've ever really just taken the time to look at what's here." She said, looking up into Neil's eyes hopefully. It seemed impossible, but now as she thought about it, she realized one of the last times she had even been here was when David and the other men had gone to the "tea house". Which thankfully, after the screaming and having those porcelain teapots broken over their heads by their wives, none of the men had gone there again.

"Of course, though I'll caution you not to get lost." He said, amused at her nervous anticipation of his response. She quickly smiled as soon as she heard the news, and Neil found it contagious.

"I would love to take my wife out to town." He said. Christy quickly rushed off to get changed into a clean dress, thanking him on the way and moving so swiftly that she almost ran into the wall in front of her. Neil stifled a laugh as she blushed crimson, looked up at him sheepishly, and went over to their suitcase.

Ten minutes later, she and Neil emerged from the shadowy depths of the Hotel Grande, walking hand in hand like young lovers. Christy was wearing a beautiful green and white gingham dress with a snow white collar... a very beautiful dress that she rarely wore around the Cove, lest she spoil it. How often she remembered another time when she had worn it. It was last Christmas and her pupils, especially the teenage girls, had been awestruck by the pristine white of the collar, and things like

"Hit's a sight to behold, Teacher", and

"Lordy, ain't that as white as them snow-on-the-mountains..." She smiled at the warm memories. What were her girls, and boys for that matter, doing now, she wondered? Miss Alice had agreed heartily to take over the schooling until Christy returned, and so they would have been at the schoolhouse today. What did they learn, she wondered? What knowledge did Miss Alice impart on them this time? And Orter O'Teale, who was so intent on memorizing Psalm 91 and reciting it at the end of the week, how was he coming along?

Though the sun was by now beginning to dip into the western sky, the amount of traffic in the town had diminished very little. So many people moving about that it was nearly impossible to make out individual faces for very long.

She pondered all of this as she walked down the dusty streets. taking in all the familiar, yet strange, sights and smells. The pleasant scents of warm horse bodies and pungent leather - these were all old and dear to her. Also the more unpleasant smells of dirt, human bodies... even refuse from the horses,; these were all clearly present too. Neil cut through a group of people just then and she followed behind him, still holding onto his hand.

They had just gotten on the other side of the busy street and onto the porch of the general store when the glass window panes in the windows began rattling slightly. Christy looked at them quizzically and then to Neil, who was already wearing an expression on his face that seemed to say "I don't like this." And then suddenly, she heard them. Hoof beats, though not like normal. These were not walking, trotting, or even cantering into town. They were galloping at a full pace, wild and frenzied like they would never stop, and they were getting closer. Now she could hear the distinct beats of the horses hooves as they tatooed the ground in their mad rush. She also heard the screams and shouts of men and women as they dodged the on coming stampede, sounding like thunder rumbling in the distance. Neil gently but urgently pushed her up against the wall and quickly made his way out onto the street, where the sheriff and his deputy had already gathered, as well as a large crowd of other men, all staring at the direction that they knew would bring their answers. Then it burst forth, a black coach with four horses in front of it, running madly as if their very lives depended on it. They seemed to slow when they saw the large group of people blocking their path but they stopped altogether when some of the onlookers brought their own horses and wagons out into their path.

Christy knew very well that Neil intended for her to stay there, on the safety of the porch, but she also believed that sometimes he needed just as much protection, and besides, she really wanted to know what this was about. One of the men had sidled up to the lead horses and gently so as not to spook them further, grabbed the reins and bridle of the horse nearest him. Christy left the porch steps in almost three leaps, moving up to her husbands side and grabbing his hand. He squeezed a bit reassuringly, but his eyes betrayed him. He was staring at the horses, and their pitiful conditions. Christy followed his eyes and nearly gasped, feeling instant pity for the creatures. The whites in their eyes fully showing, ears standing straight and twitching back and forth violently, they were the epitome of nervous. Their smooth chestnut sides glistened with sweat, which also seemed to pour down their muzzles, and the tell-tale whitish foam covered the flanks and necks of all four horses.

"Easy, now, easy!" The man who had initially taken the reins was saying to his charge.

The sheriff took his pistol from his belt and motioned for his deputy to do the same, then slowly crept over to the seemingly empty stage coach. With a glance back to his deputy, the sheriff suddenly turned and flung the door open, pistol ready in an instant to ward off his attacker. But there was silence. Now fully absorbed in his finding, the sheriff ignored the rest of the people gathered outside, who were all anxious to see if he could find anything. The sheriff looked around for only a moment before he backed out, swore, then put his pistol into his holster.

"James, come here, would ya?" He asked loudly as he reached inside to haul something out. James, the deputy, immediately holstered his gun as well and quickly moved over to help the sheriff. This time Christy did gasp as she watched the two drag out not something but rather someone. It appeared to be a man in his early thirties, though much more she couldn't have known because his head was slumped over his chest almost unnaturally and blood oozed from a grotesque wound on the left side of his forehead.

"Where's the doctor?" The sheriff asked.

"The doctor is gone, and won't be back for several days" James said quickly. The sheriff looked up at him in desperation for a moment, then at the crowd gathered around him. Christy felt quick tears come to her eyes as she watched the injured man's skin tone change almost before her eyes. It was now growing quite pale with a slightly blue tint, and in the hushed silence she could hear his weak, ragged breaths. He showed every sign of not making it through the evening. But still, when her Neil suddenly pushed forward.

"I'm a doctor." He said, which made the sheriff and James both look up. Neil dropped to his knees beside the man and felt for the man's pulse. James looked down at Neil, steel colored eyes narrowing.

"Can you help him?" He asked. Christy held her breath as she looked towards her husband, hoping his answer would be positive. Neil paused for an instant that in that moment felt closer to eternity, and looked up into the deputy's face. His eyes were dead serious and focused, the expression Christy had seen so often before, and he seemed to hesitate briefly.

"I don't know. Get him to a bed where I can do a proper medical examination and I can tell you more." He said, instantly becoming all doctor once more. He, the sheriff, James and another volunteer all lifted the man in their arms and carried him off in the direction the sheriff was giving. Neil gave Christy one last look, as if to ask "are you coming?" and she nodded briefly, fully preparing herself in an instant to be ready for whatever task she needed to do. Making a quick mental note of which direction the men were going in, she dashed back to the hotel as quickly as she could, running inside and up the flight of stairs to their room. She rushed over to the window and found the four men, then, temporarily satisfied, she made a mad dash for Neil's medical bags, which thankfully, he always carried with him. Gathering what she thought they would need most importantly she shouldered the bag and made her way back out onto the dusty streets.

The sun was dipping lower into the sky, painting everything that strange, pre-dusk pink luster, when she caught up with Neil and the others again.

As she made her way quickly through the crowd, following her husband and the others, people slowly went back to their own business, which now included taking these strange horses off to a livery.

A late afternoon breeze picked up just then, sending small sprays of dust into Christy's face and mouth, causing her to cough as well as gag at the course grit that was now on her tongue and in between her teeth. As the breeze continued she caught a faint whiff of something... ah yes, whiskey. Who was drinking out in the streets though? And why at this hour?

She glanced around quickly but saw nothing, (she wasn't even sure what she was expecting to see) and continued to follow the men, keeping close to them lest she loose them in the crowd and not be able to find them again.

Finally all four men came to a stop at a tall, new-looking building with a fresh coat of paint and a large wooden sign overhead that said "Boarding House - Eat, Sleep, and Drink" in bright gold letters on a white background.

As Christy entered she saw white lace curtains at the windows, potted plants of various sorts sitting in deep window sills and on tables, and numerous oil lamps placed in artistic places around the brick red walls. A plump elderly woman with graying hair pulled back into a sparse bun and a heavy white apron on smiled and looked up as they entered. Her smile immediately fell when she saw what the men carried between them.

"We need a room, Hattie." The sheriff said quickly. She nodded and without a moments hesitation beckoned them to follow her into the back of the downstairs. A set of stairs ran upward from the front hall where they entered but thankfully she had more sense that taking them all the way up there with a severely injured patient. She led them around another corner and then opened a door and led them all inside. It was a spacious room, Christy thought thankfully, and had ample light to work in. A big bed in the center worked perfectly for the four men, who with Neil's direction gently lowered the injured man down onto the bed.

"Alright now I'll need you all out of here." Neil said with finality. Christy tried to press herself as much as she could into the corner to give the three other men more room to leave and whispered a quick prayer of thanks that none of them had been foolish enough to argue with her husband. Neil glanced up at her and she came to his side, ready to give him the help he needed.

After getting the bleeding under control and as he was doing the initial examination, Christy thought she heard a noise come from behind her. Once the sheriff and the others had left the room earlier she had closed the door to give them more privacy, but now she wished she had left it open as she heard a male's voice that sounded so, so, familiar.

Where have I heard that voice before? She thought, racking her brain for an answer. She glanced back at her husband, who she guessed was thinking the same thing, or would have been if he had not been so preoccupied at the moment. The expression on his face was grave and even Christy, with her limited knowledge of doctoring, had the sneaking suspicion that this man, whoever he was, was not going to make it. Already his breathing had slowed so much so that it was nearly impossible to any rise or fall of his chest.

Just then the door behind them burst open, and Christy whirled around quickly. Neil even stood up and came up behind her in a protective manner. As their intruder took a step forward from the shadowy doorway, Christy saw his face and instantly covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a scream.

**Author's Note: I owe you guys, in actuality, at least two chapters. Rest assured I just hit writer's block and am now, (thanks to suggestions from a dear friend) back on top. I'm SO SORRY guys. This is the latest I will ever keep you hanging, again, I cannot apologize enough. Thank you for your many kind words, and rest assured that I fully intend to post the second chapter tomorrow evening, then get back to the "every other day" schedule. I love the reviews guys, please keep reading, and please have patience with me occasionally! Thanks! :-)**


	19. Skylight

Chapter 18

Skylight

"Missed me that much?" He asked, with a faint hint of bitterness in his voice. Neil laid a hand on Christy's shoulder possessively and stared at the man in front of them.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. The young man took one step more into the light. Christy saw that black hair and oddly shaped nose... and instantly she felt a strange, unexplainable dread creep into the pit of her stomach.

"David?" She asked incredulously. The young man grinned and nodded once.

"Again Grantland, what are you doing in here?" Neil demanded, keeping his voice low.

"I have a patient to deal with." He said, motioning with his eyes toward the bed. David took a step towards the bed and his smile fell, a sadness creeping into his eyes as he surveyed the man.

"I heard that Hank had encountered some, _trouble_, while coming here."

_Coming here from where? And how do you know him? _Christy wanted to ask these questions, but she became a coward and let only one question escape her lips.

"Hank?" Christy asked, as Neil grunted irritably and went back to checking the man's scalp. David looked at Neil before beginning and Christy didn't miss the absolute scorn in his eyes before he covered it up again.

"I've known him for years, long before I went to Cutter Gap. We had been corresponding, via letters, until I left the mission last fall. The last time I'd heard from him, until today, that is, was three weeks ago..." David stopped abruptly, cutting off his ramblings before they could go any further. He glanced up at Christy, who was studying him curiously, and cleared his throat a bit nervously.

"I wanted to see if -" and again he could not finish the sentence. Neil said nothing except to motion Christy over to his side. Christy took an oil lamp from the shelf beside her and walked over to her husband, holding it where he indicated. He opened the man's eyes, looking deeply into both and occasionally gently pulling Christy's arm, and the lamp, forward to shine brighter. Next he checked the man's pulse, silently counting for nearly a minute, then straightened up resolutely.

"He has about ten minutes." Neil said solemnly, and the entire room became unnaturally silent. David seemed to visibly start at this news, and Christy could clearly see the inner turmoil in his soft brown eyes. He seemed to hesitate, but then decided to ask one question.

"Are you sure?" He asked. Christy looked at her husband's face and didn't see the slightest bit of arrogance or annoyance... and suddenly felt new admiration for this man who had just had his authority questioned. He looked at David with resoluteness, but not indifference.

"His breathing proves it." He explained quietly, but matter-of-factly, almost clinically. David seemed about to argue, then stopped himself and straightened up. The haughtiness with which she was all too familiar crept back into his eyes and he seemed to look about with indecision. In the still room Christy heard the man's struggling breath and remembered how uncomfortable death bed scenes had made David during the typhoid epidemic. She had helped Neil so much over the past year, treating patients, acting as nurse during surgery, even comforting the mourning and closing the eyes of the dead... but in that one moment, she too felt very uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the fact that David was in the room, the man she had refused to marry, or perhaps it was the events earlier and the whole mystery of this day that still had her unnerved. Whatever it was, it was real and almost tangible.

"I need to be with him alone." David said to both of them, eyes never leaving the injured man.

"Of course." Christy said, and started to leave. Neil eyed David once again cautiously before following his wife out of the room. As the door closed behind them, she heard David sigh and sit down at the head of the bed.

"We needed you around a bit longer." She heard him say, before closing the door firmly behind her. This last sentence puzzled her, but then again so did the runaway stage couch and the injured man and David being there and the fact that David knew the man and, well... she found her head hurting as she thought of it all.

The main room into which they had just entered was part of the living room which literally flowed unbrokenly around the whole downstairs portion of the house. It was dimly lit in this portion but a brighter place ahead followed by several different voices assured Christy of where the others were gathered. But right then she was not that interested in socializing. She turned to Neil, who smiled slowly. He seemed to have a lot on his mind and she was still trying to decide whether or not she wanted to interrupt him. Thankfully, he made the decision for her.

"Go along, get some supper." He said gently. Christy took a step back and shook her head.

"I'll go when you do." She said firmly, hoping he'd see her determination and let her stay. He didn't.

"I'm going to stay with the patient until -" He paused. "I'll stay with him." He finished. She nodded in agreement.

"Of course you will, and so will I. You might need help." She argued. He shook his head.

"You've got another person to think of now." He said pointedly, inclining his head toward her stomach. She sighed, and knew he was right.

"I'll make sure you have some coffee." She said, then stood up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. For whatever reason, she was glad to get away from the eerie deathbed scene as it was making her quite jittery.

_It's strange how the human mind works. _She thought as she slowly walked towards the main part of the house. _How one doesn't really grieve death until it comes to a loved one. _She thought of the man laying on that bed, dying. She felt sadness for him, and pity. She wished that his suffering would end soon, but she did not feel a deep sense of loss over his departure. Of course she wouldn't, she rationalized, and yet the thought slightly bothered her. Who was that man? David had said his name was Hank, and that they had kept in touch for years. But, why all the secrecy? After all, during their time together, David had always told her everything... right? Shaking her head to clear the cloud of confusion that had settled over her brain like one of those dense fogs in September, she rounded the corner by the staircase and saw the kitchen. This was where all the light and noise had come from. A large, potbellied stove sat in the center of the room, radiating with it heat that made Christy want to huddle closer. A large oak table to her left was covered in a soft white table cloth with a basket of dried lavender stalks in the center, their purple buds holding on firmly and letting go their lovely aroma. It was at this table that the sheriff and his deputy both sat.

Now that the immediate crisis was over, Christy had a better chance to study the two figures in front of her. The sheriff, a lean, very tall elderly man with white hair and snow white whiskers on either side of his lanky face seemed the persona of a gentleman. His mannerisms, actions, and words made Christy think of him as a sort of King; good, wise, and kind. He had the typical black hat that she had seen so often among these parts, (at the moment at his side for respect), tall muddy boots with rusty metal spurs, and a black vest with his sheriff's badge pinned to the front. He and his deputy, James, were talking amongst themselves while Mrs. Hattie, the boarding lady, busied herself at the stove. When Christy entered, however, both men immediately rose to their feet with courtesy. The sheriff tipped his head to Christy, and she smiled and did likewise.

"Howdy-do ma'am." He said softly, reminding her so much of her father. Sincere blue eyes in his weathered face looked back at her with respect and gentleness. She liked him instantly.

"Hello."

"This is my deputy, James" He gestured towards James with his hand. She looked into James' face and the first thing that struck her was his youth as compared to the sheriff. He must have been between her and Neil in age, a little shorter than the sheriff with a thicker build and hair the color of sourwood honey. His eyes, a steel grey color, seemed to carry with them the sorrows of the world, and Christy often thought after that meeting that she could tell a lot about the present situation by looking at them.

"And I'm Adam, the sheriff." Christy forced a smile.

"Christy MacNeill" She said simply, suddenly being too tired to say much more. Adam realized this and kindly offered her a chair, which she accepted gratefully.

"Thank you"

"'Welcome ma'am. Is that doctor your husband?" Adam inquired.

"Yes." Christy felt a surge of pride at those words. All her young life she had often daydreamed of finding the perfect man to marry. Then, as a young woman new to the Cove, she often found her thoughts stubbornly turning towards Neil, even when she thought she disliked him. Now she could truly say that no, he was not perfect, and she did not pretend that he was. But he had a deep strength of character and commitment to good that so few had anymore. It made her heart warm at the thought of getting to spend the rest of her life as this man's help meet.

"Yes, he is, his name is Neil MacNeill." She said again, smiling weakly. The day's events had taken a toll on her already. Adam regarded her with interest.

"I sure do appreciate you folks helping out. How is the patient, by the way?" Adam asked. Christy frowned and let her gaze drop to her lap.

"Neil doesn't think he'll make it through the rest of the evening." She said softly. There was stillness at the table for a moment as each man contemplated this. Even Mrs. Hattie at her post by the stove seemed a bit unnerved.

"Do we have any idea who he is?" Adam asked at last. Again, she hesitated.

"Well, I -" She was interrupted by footsteps approaching from the back of the house. Neil and David made their way into the kitchen, and their very expressions told her what she needed to know. He was gone. Neil looked suddenly exhausted, and Christy tried to catch his eye, but couldn't. He sat down at the table with a perplexed expression on his face that Christy had not seen before. Finally he seemed to notice her.

"Are you alright?" She mouthed silently. He nodded once in the affirmative, but she found it hard to believe him.

"Coffee?" Mrs. Hattie asked him as David walked over to stand by the door. Neil nodded and tried to smile, but didn't quite make it. He seemed like he had suddenly been through an entire battle and now the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Much obliged to ya sir." Adam said gruffly. Neil acknowledged him with a half smile, but nothing more.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, so thick and tangible that Christy felt like she might be able to slice it with a knife. Neil, absorbed in his troubled thoughts, whatever they were at the moment, was most troubling. She wished she could get inside his head right now, and see what

was going on behind those eyes of his... such deep eyes, troubled now and clouded with confusion, but nevertheless intelligent and clear as a beautiful autumn sky.

"Any one know who he was?" James asked suddenly.

Christy looked over to David, expecting him to answer since he knew this man apparently better than any one else. But when she looked up, he was no longer there.

David had just vanished, like the mist that rises over Cutter Gap in the early summer mornings. Neil, Christy, and the others searched everywhere for him, but no one could find him.


	20. A Time for Everything

Chapter 19

A Time for Everything

Once again the weather was fickle. It was so cold this morning that people and animals alike breathed out white puffs of frozen breath. The MacNeill's left early the next morning after a quick breakfast, no longer feeling as at ease as they had been they first arrived. Neil, for his part, was more than slightly suspicious about David's sudden disappearance. When Christy asked him why, he said he couldn't exactly explain, there was just something he did not like about the whole situation.

Christy found his behavior strange as well, though quietly in her mind she chocked it up to nothing more than perhaps urgent business he had to attend to, or maybe he was grieving. He had said that that man had been his friend, perhaps the loss had been too great and he just needed some time to be alone. This, at least, was her silent hopes and wishes, silent because she knew if she had voiced them to Neil, he would have disagreed, at the very least in his own head. So Christy kept silent as she and Neil checked out of their hotel, and as they loaded their goods on to Buttons and Neil helped her into the saddle. She let one of her hands lie on the top of her thigh as the other held the saddle horn.

It was one of those rare mornings when she was at least not unbearably nauseous, and for this she was thankful.

As Neil untied Buttons' reins from the post, Christy's hand let go of the saddle horn and slid almost unconsciously to her stomach, a small smile framing her fair face and lighting her eyes in the way that characteristic first time mother-to-be way.

_I'm pregnant. I carry the greatest creation made by the love between Neil and I. _She thought, unable to contain her happiness. It had been on her mind almost constantly since she and Neil first discovered the reason for her nausea. Her love had given life to joy, which made her soar. It made the birds sing and the winter melt into spring and the mountain brooks gurgle and the gorgeous blue of Neil's eyes shine and -- oh, it made the world spin. And it made this cold, drab day seem a little bit warmer.

Christy looked up as she felt a warm hand over her own. Neil looked back and met her eyes, that handsomely masculine face lighting up when he saw her appreciative smile. That boyish grin and those mischievous red curls that always seemed to accompany him wherever he went. Even when she was mad at him, she could never fail to realize how incredible he looked, and how that every time she met his gaze, every time she met those crystal blue eyes... or even felt them on her, her heart would skip a beat and her cheeks would stain crimson.

She put her other hand over his and squeezed it gently. It was cold, more than likely so was he. One thing Christy had discovered soon after falling in love with Neil was that he almost never got cold, and so when he did it usually shocked her. Today, however, when she saw him in his coat she was hardly surprised. She shivered a bit as he clucked to Buttons and they began moving through the icy air... realizing that she would be grateful when summer finally decided to show up.

Thankfully Buttons had grown the wisdom of mountain horses and did not shed her winter coat until well into spring time, because if it had not been for that extra fur Christy would have felt sorry for the poor mare.

Both Neil and Christy moved in comfortable silence for a while, neither feeling the necessity of talking and neither particularly wanting to disturb the peaceful silence around them. Besides, Christy knew deep down that, even though Neil smiled at her and appeared carefree enough in his actions and attitude, she could see the nearly invisible worry that he had veiled. She knew it had begun with her mysterious captors and now had grown to incorporate David's recent appearance - and disappearance. She wished she could put him at ease... wished she could somehow ease his troubled mind, but other than prayer, she often felt useless. She knew he loved her and his worry was merely over his desire to protect her from everything that could possibly hurt her, and so ultimately she felt the responsibility to somehow convince him that it would indeed be alright.

But this was easier said than done, she realized with a frown. He had not talked to her openly about it since that morning on their porch in Cutter Gap, when he had spoken of his dream. Even then he had not been specific, and she could only guess at the severity of his troubled thoughts. Realizing that he was that worried over this whole business made her want to hug him. The scariest thing was that she believed he might even be wondering if she and their child were safe with him. Truth be told, she felt completely safe with him, and didn't think she would be safer elsewhere. But she could see the edges of his faith - in God and in himself - beginning to unravel and she prayed fervently that he would find peace.

They were now leaving El Pano behind them, and as she looked forward to the broad, honey colored fields and still farther to the beautiful gray-blue of her beloved mountains, she inhaled deeply. The sight would always remain breathtaking. These rustic, majestic mountains that she could now truly call her home... realizing that these same mountains had once been home to native Americans and early pioneers. What were their lives like, she wondered? What did they do, day by day... what were their dreams, their hopes, their fears? What were their favorite things to do on a lazy summer afternoon, after chores were completed? How many stories, of heroes and legends, had been told around campfires or around the fireplaces of their homes during cold weather? And another question in her mind was... what would eventually happen to these mountains? Would they remain alive, along with their rich histories of folk lore and superstitions, of Gaelic relics and quaint speech that spoke of another world? Would the world of history books with its fierce loyalty and deep love and devotion to independence survive? Of the beautiful men and women who bravely fought every day to survive in this wilderness? Or would all of this die? Would people one day become so interested in development and "new" ideas that this precious gift, the gift of another way of life and all the men, women, and children who lived, breathed and died in these mountains, come to naught? The thought made her sad. Yes, she had already seen it begin. Back in Asheville, and even in El Pano... the "new technologies" had already begun to change peoples' minds and cause them to frown upon this "old way of life". Christy knew she had once been that way too. But, through God's mercy and love, she had come to see something new. This history, Cutter Gap, was something that needed to be protected. Cutter Gap would not always remain as it was now, and in fact, as far as the harshness of life went, she wished it would not. But those precious memories of an age almost forgotten was something that she hoped people would never forget.

She needed to preserve this for her children... beginning with the precious baby she carried within her now. That smile crept back to her face with this thought. They had not told anyone, even Miss Alice, about their upcoming family, wanting to keep it a secret until they could find the right moment.

"You know, I've been thinking, Mrs. MacNeill..." Neil said, breaking the silence. Christy waited patiently, cocking her head slightly as she watched her husband. He turned his head to look at her, not breaking stride.

"We need to come up with a name." He smiled again. She grinned and looked down at her hands.

"Okay... what if it's a boy?" She asked.

"If it's a boy..." Neil echoed, looking upward as if to receive some inspiration from on high. She had a few ideas in mind, but first she wanted to hear his. It was always more fun to hear his ideas.

"What about Patrick?" Neil asked, looking past Buttons to see his wife's reaction. She thought about it for a moment.

"What about Daniel Patrick?" She asked back.

"Daniel Patrick" Neil said out loud, rolling the name around in his head. He could imagine a little boy with big, blue eyes just like his mother's and smiled.

"I like it." He replied, smiling at her. She grinned back and then looked ahead, out across the rolling fields. Any other time, she knew, they would be walking in grass up to their waists... or at least she would. But this was early spring, and the tall blades had yet to start growing yet. She looked out beyond the brown, lifeless field in front of them to the bordering wild laurels with their twisted branches and the rhododendrons with their thick green leaves, and then still higher, to her mountains. The Great Smokies, with their hazy blue tint towards the tops of the highest peaks and their beautiful, slate blue sides, would always be hers. How often, after frustrating school days or feuding or unruly moonshiners or deaths, had she come to these giants for solace; a sort of calm in the middle of the storm. Now as she looked, she could see some of the highest peaks still white and frosty with snow which had all melted further down towards the valley.

"Can I walk?" She asked. He nodded and stopped Buttons, coming over to the side and helping his wife down.

"Okay, what about a girl?" She asked, taking hold of the side of Buttons halter. The animal's skin felt pleasantly warm against her own fingers, which were beginning to grow cold.

"I like Rebecca for a little girl." Neil replied, watching the way the sun would catch Christy's hair and make it gleam like fire. She nodded in approval of the name

"Rebecca is a pretty name... oh Neil, I can't believe it! I'm going to be a mother!" She exclaimed happily as she trudged up the muddy hillside. She slipped at one point and Neil had to quickly reach around Buttons to steady her.

"Easy there." He cautioned. "Or you _will_ be muddy" He teased, grinning as she made a face at him. A slight breeze picked up, causing her to shiver as it flew past with its artic chill.

"The sooner we get home, the better. I think it's going to storm." Neil said, frowning as he looked at the ever-graying sky in front of them.

Now reaching the edge of the woods, Neil led them along the solitary dirt path that cut its way through. Christy had been slightly nauseous that morning but the cool, clean air and the prospect of going home seemed to refresh her now, giving her the energy and stamina needed to begin the climb.

"In all seriousness, I don't know why Grantland was in El Pano, but I don't like it." Neil said, breaking the silence once more.

_So there it is. _Christy thought.

"He was just there - probably needed supplies or, or there to see his friend, like he said."

"And you believe him?" Neil asked quietly. His tone was not angry but it still irritated Christy somehow. What was he thinking now?

"Why are you asking me this?" She asked back, keeping any irritation from her voice. But she could tell by the stiffening in his shoulders that he knew.

"I'm just saying, I don't trust him as far as I could throw him... which is far." He answered.

"Honestly Christy, he shows up, acts like he's guilty of robbing a bank, and then leaves before we can ask him to identify his friend?"

"He probably didn't know!" She said, thinking Neil was jumping to conclusions. He was silent after that, but she knew the issue had not been resolved in the least. Her own thoughts on the subject were jumbled, at best. Yes, David's behavior was a little odd, but then again... if he had been friends with "Hank" and had lost him, that jumpy behavior would be normal, would it not? She sighed and shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was too beautiful a day to let thoughts spoil her mood.

Another half hour of steady walking brought them to the base of the mountain. Neil insisted that Christy ride and she, who by this time had gotten winded, agreed. This wasn't like her, she kept thinking, to get tired so easy. Maybe it was the morning sickness that caused her to feel so bad. Either way, when she climbed up on Buttons, she felt immensely thankful that they had brought such an animal. Christy looked at her husband in front of her with admiration at his strength and stamina. She admired the rippled muscles on his arms, now visible because after a while of walking he took his coat off and handed it to her. Now as she looked at his arms with the blonde hairs on top, she remembered another time she had thought the same thing. Then, she had been admiring them too, only she would have stubbornly denied it.

Since they had gotten such an early start, they were able to make it back to the cove by that evening. They went to the mission first because Neil had some supplies to leave. Miss Alice was not there, and when questioned as to her whereabouts, Ida said she had gone to Big Lick again and would be returning within the week.

It had already grown dark outside and therefore much cooler. Ida offered to put them up for the night and Neil agreed at once, wanting to get Christy warm. After a steaming hot supper of soup and baked potatoes they went to Christy's old bedroom where they quickly fell into bed, exhausted from the day's travels.

The next morning dawned with promise of being a bit warmer. The sun rose with a highly theatrical entrance of delicate pink and beautiful orange, and there was no fog or mist to obscure their view on this morning. With the lovely sights, Christy's spirits rose, and she discovered that she could nibble on a piece of dry toast without losing it to her unruly stomach.

And so, after a warm breakfast and some time to catch up on things with Ida, Neil once again tacked up Buttons and helped Christy up onto the saddle. A series of thick blankets tucked around her kept her pleasantly warm, and the thought that in another half an hour they would be home pleased her. She could not wait to see their cabin again, to once again relax into the cozy life she had built for herself here in Cutter Gap. And tomorrow, if she could get Neil's approval, she looked forward to teaching again. Already this year school had been more patchy than she would have liked, though she knew there was not much she could have done to change that fact.

As they rounded the bend that would reveal their home, every thing looked normal, just like it should be. When they got closer, however, to the river's edge, a large man stepped out from behind a stand of fur trees. He held a pistol steadily out in front of him, close to his chest, aimed at Neil.

"Howdy Doc." He said in a low, menacing tone. His voice was flat, like an untuned piano, and the gleam in his large brown eyes suggested that he was here to stay, until the end.

_What now? What end could this have? _She could see Red's blood stained body crumbled up against the wall, and she hoped it would not come to that.

Neil stopped suddenly upon seeing the man and one hand flew instantly to Christy's. She felt him squeeze tightly.

"Where is it?" They both heard a familiar voice and Christy whirled around in the saddle to face this new threat. She gasped at who she saw.

"Where is what, Grantland?" Neil asked, his tone threatening.

David Grantland walked down from their cabin with that tight clenched, self-righteous expression on his face.

"The gold cage." He replied coldly. He looked at Neil's confused expression and laughed, a mirthless laugh that sent shivers down Christy's spine.

"Surely you know of how your grandfather killed and stole, just to impress the woman he loved." Here he looked pointedly towards Christy, who sat on the saddle speechless. Neil glanced up at her and then at the other man, who had not lowered his pistol but had come forward several more steps.

"Now, unless you wish to continue yelling at one another, we can go inside and act somewhat civilized." David said, motioning back towards the cabin.

"I have a fire going." He added, smirking. Neil began to protest but stopped suddenly as the other man threatened to pull the trigger if he did not comply. Neil hesitated for a moment longer before glancing up at Christy. She looked terrified, and it killed him inside to see her so scared. He smiled at her in a manner that he hoped was reassuring and nodded to her. She stiffened, but slowly gave him her hand and he helped her down before turning back towards David. He glared at the younger man, who seemed to cringe slightly and backed away, allowing them entrance into their own house. Neil walked beside Christy, slowly, and kept his arm around her. This did not go unnoticed by David, who glanced at Neil with a haughty expression.

They had no sooner stepped inside than Neil felt the cold hard barrel against the back of his head.

"Leave him alone" Christy demanded. David took her arm and began pulling her towards the back of the cabin.

"You should leave" He said.

"No, stop it! David, let go of me... what are you doing?" She said, struggling to pry his hand off of her arm.

"Be careful with her Grantland" Neil warned, his voice sounding closer to a snarl. David stopped momentarily and glanced from Neil to Christy.

"Careful? With her? You underestimate her Neil, like you always have." David said. Christy's hand had protectively moved to her stomach, and this too did not go unnoticed. He glanced into Christy's eyes and then back to Neil's, a growing look of disgust evident in his own eyes.

"What have you done, you cheap little-" He began, interrupted before he could finish.

"David!" Christy said harshly.

"I am Mrs. Neil MacNeill, have been for several months now. And you're trespassing." She stated flatly. She looked boldly into his eyes and, for the first time that day, she could see genuine surprise mirrored in his eyes. But she was not finished.

"I'm shocked to see you like this, David. I never knew you'd go so far for revenge." She said angrily, and as her eyes swept the room she could see brief humiliation on David's face, followed by passive anger, and then as she looked to her husband she could see a strange mixture of respect and fear.

"This isn't about revenge, _Mrs. MacNeill_" David spat the last title out scornfully.

"Your husband is wanted for murder and theft, both serious offenses."

"You're going to have to give me a little more evidence than what you spat out earlier." She retorted. "Or else there's no way on earth that you're going to get out of here with him." David scoffed and pushed her aside, nodding to the other man, who moved towards Neil with a pair of handcuffs.

"No" Christy said, lunging towards Neil. David grabbed her arms... _that hurt_, she thought... and pulled her back. She, however, kicked backwards and caused him to momentarily let go of her as he growled in pain. In her brief freedom she thrust herself towards Neil's rifle, hanging on its rack to her right, and cocked it. In one motion she aims and fires it at the floor right between Neil's captor and Neil. The room suddenly became _very_ still... so still, in fact, that Christy could hear the lone song of a bird outside the cabin.

"Now, unless you want to be next, I suggest you leave, _now_." She said calmly. David seemed completely stunned for a moment, but quickly regained his wits and reached toward Christy. Pulling away, she backs up quickly and aims the gun at him.

"Don't make me." She says vehemently, eyes darkening. David looked bewildered a moment longer, then quickly shook his head and began laughing.

"Seriously, I doubt you could do it." He said.

"And I once doubted that you were anything other than decent." She retorted in a low, venomous voice. Her words seemed to sting as he looked over at the other man, who now stood silently beside Neil. She caught the glance and, without moving her eyes, threw a warning to the other man.

"You touch him, and David dies." She said.


	21. Impossible to Forget

Chapter 20

Impossible to Forget

"Now, you _are_ trespassing, and I'm about sick of this." Christy kept her voice low and threatening.

"He is guilty of serious-" David began nervously, but was cut off as Christy cocked the rifle.

"Explain your charges." She said between clenched teeth. Now, more than ever, she felt like the fool. When was she ever going to stop being so naive about people? Neil had been right about David, right all the way through. And she had not believed him.

But she believed him now, and she found herself despising the man who had first proposed to her.

"Years ago, before I met you in fact, I became acquainted with a certain man - Hank, was his name - who told me that he was searching for a 'golden bird cage' that was stolen from his grandfather by a man with the last name of MacNeill." Christy risked a quick glance over at her husband as David continued telling his tale. Neil's face was an impossible sheet of impassivity.

"So I asked him for more information, and he told me that Neil's father had stolen the golden cage, which by the way is worth a fortune in today's standards, killed Hank's grandfather when he had tried to stop him, and took it back to his cabin, which is now your cabin. It had never been seen or heard of since. Which leads me to my first question; where is it?"

"I honestly can tell you I don't know! Who do you think you are, barging in here and demanding something that I couldn't possibly know about!" Neil said angrily.

"Get away from him" She advised the other man, still glued to his place beside Neil. He looked once at David, who nodded in the affirmative, and stepped back.

"Now, let's begin this all over more civilized, shall we?" Christy said sarcastically, though still angrily.

"It'll start when you lower the gun" David tightened his jaw in defiance. Christy slowly lowered the rifle though she still kept her finger on the trigger.

Just as she lowered the head to the ground, however, David's arm shot up to grab hers and keep them still. The sudden jolt caused her to raised her arms, and therefore the weapon, to defend herself. As Christy raised the weapon she squeezed the trigger, and after that everything went black.

When she next awoke, she was lying on the floor where she had fallen with Neil above her. He held a rag in his hand and was dabbing her forehead gently. His worried expression showed her that something bad had happened. Why was she there on the floor to begin with?

"W-what happened?" She asked softly as she tried to sit up. A wave of dizziness followed by a tipping world made her rethink her decision. Neil gently but firmly put a strong arm on his wife's shoulder.

"Stay down, you shouldn't try to sit up just yet. You took a nasty tumble." He said, trying to be light hearted. But the way his blue eyes had changed tint, becoming darker, and the way his pupils were dilated betrayed his true feelings. She had scared him. Scared him, obviously, because he thought she might have done something serious enough to hurt herself. What had happened?

"Neil" She spoke again, this time stronger. "What happened? Where's David and the other man?" As she asked these questions, a cold dread slowly crept upward to her heart, wrapping itself around her firmly. The feeling of cold was so literal that she looked around quickly at her surroundings to see if a wind were blowing. She could see the still cabin air, the bright sunlight outside the cabin filtering through the windows and hitting the floor. Where the rays of the sun sliced through the air she could see the dust flying freely. And it was, quiet. Much too quiet.

"What happened?" She asked a third time, starting to become annoyed. Neil avoided her gaze as he spoke, sitting cross legged beside her on the floor. By this time she was feeling much better and sat up, to which her husband did not protest.

"When, when the gun went off, after he grabbed you... it, it shot him through his chest as you were wrestling to get him to let go." He looked into her eyes, and she found it next to impossible to read the expression in his handsome eyes. Sorrow? Pity? Loss? Pain? Or was it some kind of relief? She could not tell, she could only guess at what lay beyond those fathomless blue eyes.

"He's dead, Christy." He said those words so calmly, so matter of factly, yet his expression changed as he spoke, betraying... sorrow? nShe stared at her husband in horror for a moment, the tension-filled air suddenly so thick that she could slice it with a knife.

_Dead... I killed him. He's dead because I killed him. _It was an odd sensation that followed after that - nothingness. It was almost as if though her brain had heard the words, she did not think they were true. Christy blinked a few times and felt her head swimming again.

"You must have lost your footing and fell, hitting your head on the floor." He finished, and suddenly, like a rain shower turning on without warning, she knew. All the pieces of the puzzle fit, and fit well. They all worked. David had tried to get the rifle from her hands. She had fought back, all the while her hand on the trigger, then her hands went instinctively up as if to cover her face and she accidentally squeezed the trigger. Then she knew Neil was right... she _knew_, and she felt like crying with that knowledge. Quick tears came to her eyes as she focused on an invisible point in her lap.

"I didn't mean too" She said softly, intertwining her fingers as she kept her head bent. Then she felt strong arms around her, and she knew who it was.

"Of course you didn't." Neil said gently, rubbing small circles in her back with his free hand. He sounded genuine, like he really did want to completely change the situation, and for that she was grateful. Neither said anything for several moments.

"What of the other man?" She asked finally. She heard another sharp intake of breath from Neil, and she knew this story wasn't going to be much prettier.

"He turned the gun on himself, and before I could stop him, he fired it. Clean shot to the head, he probably didn't even feel much." Neil said, trying to sound confident and courageous. But she could hear the little boy inside him, in his very voice as it quavered slightly.

"That's good." She mused out loud. "It's good he wasn't in any pain... we've had too much of that recently -" She said, unable to finish the sentence as huge sobs racked her body. It was as if the entire past few months since her kidnap were now being condensed into a single time, and all the pain and fear she had been holding in was now being released. It felt good to cry, to wash away a world that was so wrong...

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test...?" Miss Alice continued reading steadily from the passage of scripture she had selected for the funeral services. They had decided to give both men a proper burial, especially David.

Christy stood by her husband's side and wept silently throughout the entire service. She still could not get over the fact that she had killed him. As she looked periodically into Miss Alice's eyes throughout the day, she could see the profound sadness hidden in the gray depths. Sadness, she would later discover, over the fact that David had attempted something so awful and also over the fact that Christy was feeling so guilty.

"Mrs. MacNeill" Miss Alice gently admonished one day while leaving for Low Gap.

"Thee must think about what David and the other man might have done to thy husband, had this not happened. It is a tragedy in the greatest, but we can no longer dwell on the past... you must look to the future if you are to be the wife and mother that God has called you to be."

"But how?" She had asked desperately. Miss Alice's eyes glimmered with the truth of the aged, shining brightly like the wildflowers covered in dew, when the sun catches the water droplets and sends prismatic gleams of light into the air.

"Prayer, Mrs. MacNeill, changes things. I've seen _that_ at work." She said fondly. She then blew Christy a kiss and left, the kiss lingering in the air warm and sweet like the older woman's presence.

_Maybe, just maybe,_ she thought as she watched the woman leave, _I can grow up to be like her. _

The End!

**Author's Note: I'm sort of embarrassed about this chapter... I think it's written awfully. I'm sorry guys, but I had to end it, wanted to end it tonight so I could move on, yet waitressing tonight I guess made me sorta tired. Probably shouldn't have written this, but here it is.**

**And, now for the good part. I've got a great idea for the 2nd book, (below). Oh and don't worry, everything about the golden cage will be fully explored and explained in the BEGINNING of "Wing Under My Wings". Enjoy this snippet and forgive my lousy chapter tonight!**

(Don't stone me... here's previews for "Wind Under My Wings" book 2 in my **Salvation **trilogy.)

CUTTER GAP was always full of change. The long, drab winters would slowly, slowly release their holds on the rugged mountains, and new life for a new year would begin to appear. The maples and wild cherries, always the first to spring to life, would shoot out red and bright chartreuse colored buds, announcing their arrival with glee. A brown doe with her big, cautious liquid eyes would bring another fawn, perhaps two, into the world, and they would sniff the air as carefully and instinctively as their mother does and would welcome this new environment. Yes, change would take place and often, as in the cove's circumstance, would bring about more beauty, more love, and more wonder.

But it would also bring about more hardship, especially when the outside world began to intrude upon God's creation. World War 1 had officially begun several months prior, and now the outside world that the mountain folk dreaded was beginning to force itself to the top of everyone's minds.

Whispers, rumors, known facts of the brutality of this war were beginning to make themselves known in Cutter Gap. The men folk were even beginning to succumb to it, talking of the war as they worked at the mill or plowed or worked their bees. Even in the schoolhouse, at least by the younger men, WW1 had become a favorite topic. Everyone speculated about what they did not know, and cringed at what they did.

But the war had not claimed anyone, at least not yet. And it was so distant a thing in the Cove's opinion, something that was going on "o'er yan" that nobody really dwelled on any one aspect of it for too long.

Christy MacNeill pondered all this one morning, as she did nearly every morning, as she sat in a homemade rocker on the front porch of her cabin. It was one of those rare moments where she had nothing to do at the present and so she had taken the time to let her feet rest quietly as she prayed and reflected. A hand dropped unconsciously to her ever-growing stomach and that all too familiar smile lined her fair features. Neil often told her that motherhood looked incredibly gorgeous on her... a compliment that she was all too willing to take, because frankly, some mornings she just didn't feel pretty at all.

She was also having to grow accustomed to the aches and pains her body was now experiencing as the life within her grew more and more each day. She was now almost half way into her seventh month, and she could hardly contain her excitement at being a parent. She was also excited to see Neil as a father. She knew he had been one, once - but it had not been for very long. She looked forward to the idea of being able to give him another opportunity.


End file.
